Back to the Beginning
by NarutoDimensions
Summary: Somehow, he doesn't know, but he's back the day he's meant to leave Starling City on the Queen's Gambit. What he does know is that he has a chance. A chance to right his own wrongs. To save the people he failed. But to do that he can't be who he was the first time on the island. He has to be someone else. He has to be something else.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

 _"Son of a bitch."_

Oliver came to with a groan reaching a hand up to his throbbing head. Blinking his eyes open he stared up at the ceiling above him a frown creasing his face at how familiar it looked.

After a second for the post unconsiousness mess in his head to clear he recognized why it looked so familiar. It was his old room in the Queen Mansion. Or at least it looked like his old room because he couldn't actually be there. It wasn't possible. He didn't even own the mansion anymore.

Freezing when his hand hit his head he curled his fingers grasping the long strands of hair where short cut hair should have been.

 _"No."_

Rolling off the bed he was in he walked across the room that he now knew was definitely his room in the mansion. Or more likely a room built to like an exact replica of his old room. There were still his nautical themed antiques and even the blankets were the same.

Moving to the full-length mirror in the corner he stared at the reflection looking back at him and felt his blood run cold. In the mirror, he didn't see the haunted shadow of a man broken and rebuilt by life over and over.

No, he was staring at the youthful face of a young rich playboy that didn't have a care in the world. His hair was long and shiny, his skin smooth from years of expensive soaps. But the biggest change was his body.

Instead of the hardened and scarred body, he had been used to seeing he stared at the unmarked canvas of tan skin. Not a single scar.

Everything from the past decade had been wiped away leaving him in a strangers body.

"Oliver!"

Pounding at the door snapped him out of his thoughts and he reacted reaching for the bottle opener on his dresser, brandishing the makeshift weapon as the door swung open.

"Oliver?" Moria asked her eyes immediately flicking down to the bottle opener in her son's hand. "Isn't it a little early to be drinking?"

His heart stopped at the familiar voice and face in front of him.

"Mom?" It was barely a whisper but she heard it and Moria frowned worriedly taking a step further into the room.

"Oliver, sweetie, are you alright?"

Squashing down every feeling inside of him, the guilt of being responsible for her death, the sadness at seeing her again knowing she was dead and the happiness at being able to see her again. He pushed it all down deep into the dark recess of his soul and curled his lips up in the trademark 'Oliver Queen' smirk.

"It's five o'clock somewhere mom."

Moria concerned look faded into one disapproval and she shook her head at her son's foolishness. "Oliver, your father is leaving on the Gambit in two hours. Please do not be drunk when we see him off. For me."

Deliberately moving in slow motion Oliver set the opener back down on his dresser and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Cute," Moria said rolling her eyes as she backed out of the room shutting the door.

As soon as the door lock clicked into place Oliver's smirk fell and his entire body seemed to deflate with a breath as it hit him.

He was back.

He wasn't sure how or why but he was back the day he set sail on the Gambit and somehow reliving his life. Trying to think back to where he was last he could only vaguely recall a message from Barry asking for his help dealing with a new meta in Central city.

 _"The meta must have had powers that sent me back."_ It was the only thing he could think of as to why he was back and in his old body.

If Barry had taken him back somehow he would be physically in the past not just mentally being in his old body.

 _"None of that matters now though."_ He thought walking around his room grabbing articles of clothing as he went. He had a second chance to right the wrongs he had made so many years ago. Save his father. Save Shado and Slade, his mother.

Throwing on a black long sleeve shirt and matching pants he slid on a pair of expensive loafers before picking up his wallet and phone as he left the room.

He had two hours according to his mother to purchase what he needed before heading to the dock to board the Gambit.

Jogging down the steps he snatched the keys to the town car in the driveway and bolted out the front door before anyone could see him. There was no time to waste making idle talk, two hours to get everything and make it to the docks was already cutting it short.

...

It was a strange feeling driving through the city as he ran his errands. The damages done by the Undertaking, Slade's army and Damien Darhks attacks were gone and that was jarring, to say the least. He had grown used to the rubble that made up half the glades and to drive through the same streets that he had watched collapse only gave him more incentive to stop what Malcolm was planning along with everything that came after.

He had been tempted more than once as he walked around the Star Mall purchasing everything he could get away with explaining if asked, to forget about the Gambit and stay in Starling but he crushed those thoughts ruthlessly. His father, Yao Fei, Shado, so many people he had met during those five years in hell needed him.

How could he live knowing he let so many people down, left them to die just so he could spare himself pain?

The answer was he couldn't and he knew it. That's why he was driving to the ferry that would take him back to Purgatory with a car full of supplies and the beginnings of a plan. He had time to plan before the Gambit sank but that still wouldn't be enough to memorize the past decade and everything that happened. And he couldn't write it down because what if someone found his notes? It was too risky, the knowledge he had of the future could never be told or documented. He would use a notebook while he was on the Gambit to help memorize his plan but before the boat went down he would make sure to burn all the evidence.

And step one of that plan was to save Sara.

She didn't deserve what was coming so he pulled out his phone texting her a quick message saying there was a change of plans and she couldn't come with him on the Gambit.

A few minutes later his phone dinged with a quick OK and he smiled sadly knowing he had saved his friend a lot of pain but also knowing he had taken Nyssa from her. It wasn't fair to her but keeping her out of the League of Assassins would keep Ra's from trying to recruit him. Malcolm would never be able to use Thea to kill her and he would never go to war with the League.

He wished Sara nothing but happiness, after everything he had put her through he owed her that but bringing her along knowing what was coming just wasn't an option.

And so later at the docks, he stood alone watching his mother say goodbye to his father and keeping a lookout for Sara in case she tried to sneak on board because she thought he was just getting cold feet. He knew her well enough to know it was a possibility.

* * *

XxX

"Oliver?"

He knew it was coming and he had prepared for it but seeing her again walking down the ramp to the docks he sucked in a startled breath at how...young she looked. Happy and carefree, without the worry of protecting a city weighing her down Laurel Lance was as beautiful as ever. And that was how he was going to keep her. Even if it hurt him.

"You bastard!" The slap came quick and hard snapping his head to the side.

Setting his jaw he turned his eyes back to Laurel and was met with another slap leaving his right cheek red and stinging.

"We are done, Oliver. Done!" With tears she didn't want him to see pooling in her eyes Laurel turned on heel and stormed back up the ramp to the parking lot leaving Oliver to watch her go. She hoped he was feeling as horrible as she was as their relationship broke apart.

But he wasn't. Oliver didn't even watch her leave already guessing that either she saw the text he sent Sara or found out about Stephanie or another one of the girls he cheated on her with. But he was pretty sure it was Sara because that was what he had changed. Bening down he picked up the picture that must have fallen out of her pocket during the small scuffle. Tucking it into the pocket of his pants he turned around and started walking towards the Gambit a blank look on his face as he passed his mother and father. He could see the worry in their eyes and unlike last time his mother hadn't tried to stop him from leaving.

They thought that he was hiding his emotions about the breakup with Laurel. They were only half right. He was holding everything down because seeing his father standing just yards away saying goodbye to his mother for what might be the last time he couldn't afford to show them how broken he actually was. Knowing he was letting his father walk to his possible death was tearing him apart inside but it had to be done.

If father and son, Robert & Oliver Queen didn't die on the Gambit Malcolm would come after his father another time and Oliver couldn't let his mother or Thea be caught in the crossfire. He'd rather it be him.

* * *

XxX

He was acting strangely. He knew it and his father knew it but there was nothing he could do about it. Spending time with his father wasn't possible because every time he saw the man he watched him shoot himself in the head over and over. So he stayed boarded up in his room going over everything that he was going to change or stop from happening.

"Oliver! You okay in there, son?"

 _"Survive."_ Closing his eyes Oliver took a breath before calling back. "Yeah, dad. I'm good."

It was silent for a minute before his dad spoke again. "Alright, well the captain says the storms getting too rough. We're going to have to turn around."

"Ok, dad!" Oliver shouted back and listened as his father's footsteps walked away from the door. Standing up from his bed he grabbed the notebook laying next to him and tossed it in the wastebasket in the corner. Using the bottle of liquor he had taken from his dads stash the day after they had set sail he poured it onto the notebook before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of matches.

Ripping one off he swiped it across the pack lighting a small flame and dropped it into the basket watching stonily as his own list burned.

Turning away from the growing flame he walked to the other side of his room where the of cases of supplies he bought were stacked against the wall tied to together with wire. At the front was a box with an image of an inflatable raft on the front and Oliver grabbed the red cord hanging off the front ready to pull when the boat started to flip.

Last time he was caught unaware, too drunk and having fun with Sara to do anything. This time though he was ready. With the Satellite GPS phone bought he would be able to make his way to the island where his father's raft would float too if he couldn't find him during the storm. He was risking the captain's life but one against all the lives that would be lost if he failed, there wasn't a choice to make.

Gripping the cord tight as thunder boomed and lightning flashed outside he felt the ship break beneath his feet and flew backward as the bomb on the Gambit went off. Still holding the cord in hand he pulled the box with him as he flew across the room just like the first time.

Landing hard on his back he sucked in a deep breath as water came rushing into the room dragging him and his equipment out into the choppy sea.

Coughing as he was swept into the ocean, waves crashed into him salt water stinging at his eyes and throat.

Spitting out a mouthful of the disgusting water he treads the water his legs kicking strongly beneath him. He wasn't the panicked playboy who had flailed wildly trying to keep his head above water anymore. This time he knew what he was doing.

Using the cord still held tight in his hand he pulled the inflated black and orange raft bobbing in the waves towards him. When it was close enough he dragged himself into the raft taking cover underneath the plastic canopy that would shield him from the rain.

Sitting up in the safety of the raft he untied the cord attached to his belt and tied it to the side of the raft before beginning to reel in the cases floating somewhere out there in the dark. He couldn't see them but given how heavy the line was he knew they were still attached together. His old body was as weak as he remembered being before the island so it took longer than he had planned to drag his supplies across the water but he got it done and started loading everything into his raft.

"Oliver!"

Quickly pushing the cases into the back of his raft Oliver called back to his dad yelling in the direction where he could see the red light of his fathers flare.

"Dad!"

As the light grew closer Oliver waved wildly playing the part of a scared young man who had just had a near-death experience.

"Dad!"

"Throw him the line!" He heard his father order the captain before he was forced to duck out of the way as the captain did as he was told and threw him a line that nearly smacked him in the face.

Grabbing the rope he fed it through the rubber loops on his raft and tied it off in a tight knot before calling back to his dad careful to put as much fear in his voice as possible. "I...I tied our rafts together!"

"Good, son! Good! Just stay inside the raft!"

"Okay!" He yelled back only for the sake of keeping his appearance of a terrified boy. Zipping the opening in the canopy of the raft closed he settled against the side of his raft ready to wait out the days of aimless drifting until they reached Lian Yu.

Closing his eyes he for a second they shot open just as fast as a loud bang broke through the thundering of the storm. After so many years of fighting, he recognized the sound of gunfire easily.

"Dad?" He called with actual hesitation in his voice. He was afraid of the answer he was going to get. Maybe something had changed and the captain had the gun this time. The butterfly effect or whatever it was called from him already changing things. Had his father been shot because of him or...

"It's ok, Oliver! Just stay in your raft."

 _Dammit._ He closed his eyes again as the crushing weight of guilt started pressing down on his chest. The captain was dead. Again. And it was his fault.

* * *

XxX

"Oliver, wake up, son."

Swinging wildly as he was shaken awake Oliver felt his hand connect with something and the shaking stopped. Blinking furiously his mind raced with possibilities of what was happening before everything came rushing back in a wave of clarity as the drowsiness from floating aimlessly at sea left his system.

"Dad!"

Robert held up a hand holding his other to his jaw. "It's okay, Oliver. It's alright. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, dad I..." Oliver dropped his head into his hands. He was trying to save his father's life and instead he punches him in the face. How was he supposed to keep his dad alive when he was the one who was hurting him?

"Oliver," A two firm hands wrapped around his shoulders and his father pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Oliver. For everything. I'm not the man you think I am."

Oliver's breath caught in his throat at the familiar words. No, it couldn't be happening, not again. He wouldn't let it.

"I didn't save our city, I failed. And I'm not the only one. But you can save it. Right my wrongs."

"Dad," Oliver pulled back from the hug. His father had shot himself and the Captain the day after the Gambit had gone down last time. This time the Captain had...died the night of the wreck but his father had lived.

His dad had outlived his past self by days. Why was he doing this now? He knew they were close to Lian Yu and if his dad saw the island he wouldn't try to sacrifice himself.

He tensed as his father reached into his life jacket and pulled out the same gun he had last time.

"What are you doing, dad?"

"There's not enough for both of us, Oliver," Robert said smiling sadly bringing the gun up to his head.

"NO!" Lunging Oliver knocked the gun away before his father could pull the trigger. He wasn't going to let his father die this time. They would both survive and stop the undertaking together. Both of them were going home.

Robert didn't move as Oliver dove across the raft and grabbed the gun holding it behind his back.

"Survive, Oliver."

Oliver watched in horror as his dad pulled out the knife the captain had been holding the first time and before his weak body could react jammed it into his chest.

"Survive." His dad whispered blood dripping from his mouth.

Watching his father choke on his on blood Oliver wished he had let him use the gun.

 _"This is my fault."_

He had decided to let his father board the Gambit knowing what was going to happen. He had thought he would be able to protect him and keep him alive.

And he was wrong. Robert Queen had died once more, and it was his fault. He had killed his father.

Tears started to gather in his eyes as he crawled to his father's body, cradling the still warm corpse against his chest.

"I'm sorry, dad. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

Caught up in his grief he hadn't noticed that the raft had stopped moving until his tears had begun to fall soaking the orange life vest around his father's chest.

Cheeks wet and eyes red he laid his father's body down gently.

Clutching the gun he had stolen in his hands he pushed open the flap of the canopy and nearly dropped his weapon as he saw what was outside the raft.

When he had fallen asleep the night before there had been nothing but ocean for a far as he could see.

"We made it."

Now there was a rocky beach stopping the life raft from moving forward and beyond that was another sea, one that was green and brown instead of blue. A sea of trees. They had made it to Lian Yu and...and his father had known.

 _"He wanted to die."_ Oliver thought looking back at his dad. He knew they had made it to the island, to safety but had killed himself anyway. _"It wasn't just about me surviving, it was about atonement for what he had done."_

Years ago when he had first recruited Diggle he had told his friend that he believed his father had killed himself not only to give him a chance to survive but to also atone for his sins. For killing the councilman, for his part in the Undertaking. And now he knew it was the truth.

His father didn't want to live.

And he also knew that he didn't have time to grieve. Even with his knowledge of what was coming the island was still dangerous.

Stepping out of his raft he stood on the rocky beach gazing around at what would become his home for the next two years. He was back where it all began and where it had ended for others.

First things first he needed to find Yao-Fei. He didn't want to be shot again but knowing his first mentor he wasn't going to be able to stop that from happening. His pre-island body would not be able to catch or dodge an arrow. And that was if Yao-Fei even revealed himself before shooting.

But before he went hunting for the first man under the hood he needed to bury his father. Again.

Swallowing the pain he felt for even thinking that, he tucked his gun into the waistband of his shorts before grabbing the life raft and pulling it farther onto shore using the waves to his advantage as his playboy body struggled with the weight.

Once he was sure he had it far enough away from the water so his supplies would not drift back out to sea he grit his teeth and reached inside dragging his father's body out into the open only stopping to remove the list and toss it back into the raft before kneeling down on the rocks. He ignored the sharp pieces of stone digging into his skin and picked his dad up in a fireman carry.

In the trees above the beach, dark eyes watched from underneath a green hood as he worked carrying his father up the beach. They watched as he moved rocks and boulders creating the best makeshift grave he could that would keep away the animals.

And when the grave was complete the eyes watching him narrowed as he went back to his raft.

Removing his ripped shorts that were pretty much rags he pulled a pair of dark green cargo pants from the luggage he had bought just before he boarded the gambit as well as a black long-sleeve shirt and tan surplus military boots. He wasn't wearing rags until he could accidentally kill another of Fyers men.

Shirtless he kneeled down to tie his boots when the telltale whooshing of an arrow traveling through the air caught his attention before a searing pain originating from his shoulder sent him to the ground crying out in pain.

Looking over his shoulder he saw the man he was looking for looking back at him and notching another arrow. Diving into his raft to escape another shot he popped open the second case he had brought with him digging through the ropes and metal until he found what he was looking for.

A Beretta 92FS he had purchased in the glades.

Chambering a round he closed the case and crawled behind it to gain a little cover ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He wasn't planning on shooting Yao-Fei but if he wanted to change things "learning" more from Yao-Fei than last time was a good place to start.

Purposely shaking the gun as Yao-Fei pulled the flap to the raft aside he started yelling. "Hey, stay back! I'll shoot."

Yao-Fei shook his head but set his bow down. "You hurt."

Inside Oliver smiled at the broken English. People say the first thing you forget about a person was their voice but even nearly a decade after Yao-Fei had died he still remembered. He owed him too much to ever forget.

"You hurt," Yao-Fei repeated and moved further into the raft looking around at what was inside.

"Yes, because you shot me, you maniac!" Oliver hissed through the pain.

Yao-Fei ignored his words. "You want to heal, you come with me."

"I'm not going-" Oliver started to talk but he had miscalculated how badly he was injured and the world began growing dark.

* * *

 **Time Travel Arrow Fanfic!**

 **Read a few where Oliver goes back in time but only to when he gets back from the island. Haven't found one where he goes this far back so decided to write my own. Hope you guys like it:)**

 **Leave a review with what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

Coming to Oliver groaned when he tried to move. Blinking he looked down at the bloody arrow poking out of his chest. Right, Yao-Fei had shot him.

Looking up as shadow cast over him he saw Yao-Fei holding a bowl of water and herbs in one hand his hood already down laying on his neck revealing his face.

Ignoring the bullet hole he could see in the man's head Oliver sat up. "Who are you? Why did you shoot me?"

"To protect you," Yao-Fei spoke in Mandarin believing Oliver to be unable to understand. He held out his hands. "Drink."

Oliver acted confused for a moment to play his part before taking the herbs and eating them, _choking_ at the taste and taking the wooden bowl to wash it down. Swallowing the herbs he laid back and forced himself not to react, something he had been doing a lot of recently, and waited for Yao-Fei to act.

And his old mentor did not disappoint.

"Ah!" Screaming as the arrow was pulled from his body. Unlike last time though he didn't pass out from the pain and from the slight surprise in Yao-Fei's eyes that was what the Chinese man had been expecting.

Breathing heavily Oliver tried to get his breath back but he didn't do it quick enough and Yao-Fei left the cave.

Laying against the makeshift pallet Yao-Fei had made from the blanket and life jacket from his raft he stared up at the ceiling of the cave he hadn't been in for years a small smile on his face. He had thought it would be hard seeing Yao-Fei like it was seeing his mother and father but for some reason, it wasn't. All he felt was joy at being able to save the man who had saved him.

He didn't know how long he had stared at the ceiling but it had to have been hours before Yao-Fei returned carrying with him a cage that trapped a brown Quail. He set it down at Oliver's feet and walked away to the fire burning on the other side of the cave.

"Shēngcún."

"What am I supposed to do with that?" Oliver asked wincing as he sat up. He was still shirtless so he could see how bad the wound from Yao-Fei's arrow was. It wasn't the worst he had suffered by far but in his pre-island body, it was going to keep him from working as hard as he wanted to.

"Shēngcún." Yao-Fei nodded at the bird.

Oliver looked at the bird he had killed. His first kill. He knew he was going to have to kill it again and sooner than he had last time if he wanted to start training with Yao-Fei earlier than he had before. But he still had a part to play.

"Does that mean bird?"

"Shēngcún!"

Glancing at the fire where Yao-Fei's bird was roasting and then back to his bird he swallowed hard and reached for the cage. Opening it enough to stick his hand inside he grasped the bird in his hands and pulled it out cradling it against his stomach.

On the other side of the room, Yao-Fei nodded and wrung his hands.

Holding the Quail steady with one hand Oliver wrapped his other around its neck.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to it, same as last time before twisting his hands viscously and a loud pop echoed in the cave.

Across the cave watching his own bird cook, Yao-Fei held out his hand. "Shēngcún."

"Yeah, I know," Oliver handed his dinner over. "Bird."

"Shēngcún, not mean bird," Yao-Fei said in broken English as he began plucking the feathers from the bird. "Shēngcún, mean survive. You want to survive this place, bird not last thing you kill."

 _"Don't I know it."_ Oliver thought as he watched his mentor work. He was going to be killing a lot more people than he had last time around.

Standing up he groaned at the now dull pain in his shoulder. It still hurt like hell but he could ignore now more than he could before. "I need to go get my stuff."

"No," Yao-Fei held up a hand looking up from his work and Oliver stopped. "We go tomorrow, together. Tonight, rest."

"Alright," Oliver agreed and laid back down on his mat. While he didn't want any of Fyers men finding his raft he also knew it as safer to travel together than alone. Being caught in the tree trap and stepping on a mine the first time around had proved that.

"Here," Yao-Fei cut a leg from the bird on the fire and threw it to him. "Eat."

"Thank you," Oliver said and bit into the bird. He didn't even gag like he did last time despite his taste buds not being used to food that wasn't prepared by a five-star chef. He was already changing small things, now all he had to do was keep with the plan and start changing the bigger and more important moments.

Finishing off his bird he laid back down on his pallet.

* * *

XxX

Lian Yu

Waking up with a start the next day Oliver looked out the natural window of Yao-Fei's cave and saw that the sun was just beginning to rise.

"You have nightmare."

Looking over at Yao-Fei who was standing at the entrance of the cave Oliver groaned and got his feet. "Yes, I do."

Watching his father kill himself again wasn't easy on his already guilty mind and the only thing keeping the bad thoughts from taking over was his mind constantly replaying everything he had to do. If not for that he doubted he would have been any more useful to Yao-Fei than he was when he first landed on the Island.

"Should we go?" He asked retying his boots that had come undone during the night. He was still worried about Fyers men finding the raft and wanted to get moving as soon as possible. Plus he needed a shirt.

Ya-Fei jerked his head signaling for him to follow and left the cave.

Jogging out of the cave he bit his lip as the wound in his shoulder was jostled as he tried to keep up with Yao-Fei who was moving through the trees' with ease. He couldn't have followed as fast even if he wasn't injured. His body was still that of a weak man who hadn't seen a day of hard work in his life. But that would change. And sooner than it had last time.

"This way," Yao-Fei said and disappeared into the trees again leaving Oliver behind.

Oliver smiled and chased after the man following the small signs Yao-Fei left in his wake. It was how he had been trained last time. Yao-Fei leading him through the woods but disappearing and leaving behind small signs for him to follow. A broken branch here, or a footprint in a softer part of the dirt there. Yao-Fei was making him learn to find tracks to follow his prey.

Of course, unlike last time he now knew what the man was doing so it was easier to follow him and since Yao-Fei wasn't actively trying to lose him they reached the beach in just under half an hour.

Stumbling out of the woods gasping and choking for air he leaned back raising his arms above his head trying to keep from collapsing to his knees with what little strength he still had. He needed to begin training his body because as it was now Fyers and his mercs wouldn't have to worry about killing him. He could do that all by himself.

With a mind that was used to a body in peak condition from years of harsh training, he pushed his body to those limits and his pre-island self couldn't do the things he could do when he returned home so all he ended up doing was be hurting himself.

 _"Kind_ _of like now."_ He thought as he started to be able to breathe properly again. Physical training could start right after he and Yao-Fei got their new supplies squared away.

"We should get started." he said walking past Yao-Fei who nodded and followed him his time.

Leading the way down the beach he stopped outside his tent just long enough to throw on his slightly damp long sleeve. The wetness mixed with the cold temperature of the island gave him slight shivers but he ignored them and crawled into the raft pulling out the cases he had packed.

Dragging them out onto the beach he set them up in a line in front of Yao-Fei's feet.

"I was supposed to go hiking in China." He told the archer popping the latches and opening each case.

Four in total the first had clothes that were all pants and long sleeves with a few jackets. Enough so, he Yao-Fei, Shado, and Slade could have two pairs each. Not that he thought Slade would give up his tactical gear but it was worth a shot.

The next case was the biggest of the four and held a small outdoor grill and other camping equipment such as a knife, matches and other items he had bought.

In the third case, Yao-Fei stared at him curiously when he saw it was filled with rope and harness.

"Rock climbing gear. My mom didn't want me doing it so I had to sneak it on board." He lied laughing slightly and thought of his mother murder to force emotion into his voice.

That was another thing he was going to have to learn to control. Slade had murdered his mother and tried to destroy his city. He didn't know how he was going to react when he saw the ASIS agent but in six months' time, he was sure he would have enough control not to react badly. Slade had killed his mother, yes, but he had killed Slade long before that leaving only the insane man the Mirakuru had created.

 _"But it wouldn't come to that this time."_ He could keep Slade from being injected with the Mirakuru. Get him, Yao-Fei and Shado off the island before Ivo ever came. He would handle the doctor himself.

"This not help against them," Yao-Fei said looking through the box with the camping gear.

"Who is them?" He asked but like before Yao-Fei didn't answer. Deciding he could bring that up again later he grabbed the extra pair of boots in the first trunk as well as a black pair of pants and a green long sleeve and tossing them to Yao-Fei.

Yao-Fei didn't move to grab them, instead he a roll of nylon rope and harness from the rock climbing trunk. "Make trap."

Realizing it was going to take a little while longer to get Yao-Fei to tell him anything useful Oliver followed his mentor's example and started rifling through the trunks. Hopefully, it would only take a few days to get Yao-Fei to start talking more than a few words at a time to him instead of the weeks it took last time. If Yao-Fei trusted him enough maybe he would tell him about his daughter being held captive this time and he and Slade could rescue her before going after Yao-Fei when the plane arrived in six months.

And to do that he had to take Yao-Fei's training seriously this time and do more of his own to make sure he was ready for what was to come.

* * *

XxX

Lian Yu

 _"Ninety eight...ninety nine...one hundred."_ Shirtless and covered in sweat Oliver lowered his body to the ground and pushed up again for the last time getting to his knees his workout finished.

Grabbing his black long sleeve from where it was laid out on a rock he slid it on and walked out of Yao-Fei's cave that had been home for the past month and looked up at the rising sun. It was almost time.

He had kept track of the days as he slowly shed his playboy persona over the past month and became the partner Yao-Fei and the others would need to escape. Today was the day he would be kidnapped by Fyers men and taken to be tortured by Billy Wintergreen, Slades ex-partner.

While he would have liked to skip the torture it was an integral part of his plan to show Yao-Fei that he was trustworthy and wouldn't break. If it could help keep everyone safe and get them off the island he did not mind bearing the same scars a second time.

"Come."

Looking down from the sky as Yao-Fei called for him from the edge of the woods Oliver started walking forward keeping his body from tensing up. He knew this was coming and he was ok with it.

"Follow," Yao-Fei said before vanishing back into the woods.

Giving chase Oliver ran through the forest with practiced ease only stumbling once or twice on purpose to give the illusion that he was still learning. After a month on the island and actually spending it training this time his body had begun the transformation into becoming the weapon that would carry him through five years of hell but he still wasn't close to the machine he had been after five years.

So keeping up with Yao-Fei wasn't in the cards for him right now.

"Stop." Yao-Fei stopped and held up a hand. Knocking an arrow he aimed through the foliage and Oliver followed the arrow all the way as it stabbed into a rabbit. "Dinner."

"Hey, about I shoot the arrow you go pick up the dead animal?" Oliver offered same as last time only leaving out a few words that would have made the offer more of a whine.

Holding out the bow for Oliver to take Yao-Fei nodded. "Try. Breath, everything breathe."

 _"Breath."_

Oliver knocked an arrow.

 _"Aim."_

He held the bow up and aimed at the tree.

 _"Fire."_

Letting the arrow loose he watched it skim the tree and disappear into the woods.

"Get."

Handing the bow back to Yao-Fei Oliver went after the arrow he had shot without complaint. He had aimed just close enough to skim the tree but still let the arrow fly into the woods as a way to solidify his place as a useful partner to Yao-Fei and given that he had not been told he would die badly the plan worked. How well he wouldn't know until Yao-Fei betrayed him to keep Shado alive but he was hoping the last month and the upcoming torture would be enough.

But if it wasn't he had plan B and if that didn't work there was plan C as well.

Stepping into a small clearing he saw his arrow stuck in the dirt and went to grab it ignoring the men he saw waiting in the trees. Crouching down pick the arrow up he heard moving and reacted standing up and spinning wildly around to face them backing away as he did so.

"Who are-?"

The first masked man swung unlike last time and caught him in the jaw with a strong right knocking him off balance and the other two grabbed him pulling his arms behind his back painfully and handcuffing them together.

Letting them drag him through the jungle to the cage in the ground he would be left in for a day before being dragged to Fyers he fought but only hard enough to give his captors a little trouble.

"Wait! Wait!" Huddled in the corner of his cell he stared up with pleading scared eyes. Having his fingers smashed wasn't going to be happening this time. "You can't leave me here. I didn't do anything. Please. I didn't do anything!"

Just like last time the three men paid no heed to his begging or screaming and walked away leaving him to spend the night in a hole in the ground before waking him in the morning with a cold splash of water and loading him onto a truck.

* * *

XxX

Lian Yu

Hands cuffed in front of him Oliver was led through not the main camp of fires operations but one of the few other outposts on the island. As he was pushed to the HQ tent where he knew Fyers was waiting for him he made sure to glance around mentally documenting where the guards were station and what tents had the most crates.

He didn't know if after Yao-Fei saved him if this outpost was shut down because it was compromised but he was going to come back and at least check this time. Slade had been a stickler at first but before the Mirakuru they were brothers. He wouldn't have to change anything to make that happen again but showing up with a bunch of stolen equipment instead of empty-handed would make saving Yao-Fei and Shado easier.

"Hello, please sit. I do not wish to be rude," Fyers said to him as he was led into the tent and saw the blonde mercenary sitting behind a desk. Glass of ice and can of soda laid out on the table in front of him.

Walking to the only other chair in the room Oliver sat down and the men who had escorted them exited the tent leaving him alone with the Fyers.

"I do apologize for my men's treatment of you." Fyers popped the can of soda open and poured it into the cup looking between the glass and his captive to see how he reacted.  
"They're trained to view any stranger as hostile."

Oliver stared Fyers in the eye and didn't look away. He wasn't as weak as he was the first time he and the mercenary had done this dance.

"I'm Edward Fyers, by the way. And you are?"

Olive remained silent staring resolutely at the wall above Fyers head. He wasn't going to tell Fyers his name. If he did Amanda Waller would be told and while he was still going to head to Hong Kong and stop the Alpha and Omega from being released Maseo's family would not be torn apart by Waller again.

"You don't want to talk about yourself. Understandable given your treatment at the hands of my men." Fyers said and turned around in his chair grabbing a picture that was laying on the cabinet behind him. "Let's talk about this gentleman instead. Do you know him?"

Again Oliver remained silent. He could have lied and now after years of practice he was quite good at it but a man like Fyers wasn't going to believe him anyway. So he kept his mouth shut and watched as Fyers polite guise fell and the ruthless mercy underneath came out.

"Do you know what this island is named? We are on Lian Yu, Mandarin for purgatory." Fyers leaned over the table. "But I can make it feel like hell."

The mercenary stood from his seat and walked around the table so he was standing behind Oliver. "I don't know why you're protecting him. You are young, foolish, perhaps you don't know why either. Think on that when you are begging for death."

Turning around in his seat as Fyers walked out of the tent he waited for Billy to enter the tent.

"He's yours now," Fyers said deliberately loud enough so he would hear.

From outside the tent, Billy Wintergreen marched into the room in full gear and holding a machine gun in one hand. Dressed in all black except for one half of his balaclava the Ex-ASIS agent was just as intimidating as the first time Oliver saw him. But unlike then he had seen worse things and he was unaffected.

Remaining stoic as the masked man hauled him from his seat and undid his cuffs he made a move to escape once the lock clicked shouldering the bigger man and trying to run for the exit.

Billy reacted like lighting though, grabbing the back of his shirt and throwing him into the wooden pole holding the tent up. The mercenary brought a knee up into his stomach knocking the wind out of him before tying his hands together around the pole.

Once he was tied up Fyers came back into the tent holding Yao-Fei's photo up. "Where can I find the man in this picture?"

Oliver set his jaw remaining silent and mentally preparing for the pain that was about to come.

"Very well." Fyers stepped back and nodded to Billy who stepped forward sword in hand.

Gritting his teeth as glinting steel grew closer to his stomach and Billy lifted his shirt Oliver felt the point of the sword dig into his flesh and screamed.

"AH!"

* * *

 **Second Chapter is up!**

 **Hope you guys like the story so far. Leave a review with what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

"Amazing," Fyers paced two steps in each direction in front of Oliver as Billy stepped back blood dripping from his sword. "You have resolve I didn't credit you for."

Ignoring the words he had heard before Oliver took deep breaths trying to control the amount of pain he felt. The two scars on his stomach and chest he could deal with, he had dealt with them before when he was still the spoiled brat that had washed ashore. No, what made his body burn were the three new scars he would be sporting this time around. Drag down his chest diagonally like an animal had clawed him.

"Or maybe, you truly don't know anything. In which case we should put you out of your misery." Fyers turned away and walked towards the tent's exit nodding to Billy who stepped forward raising his bloody sword to swing the killing blow.

 _"Where are you Yao-Fei?"_ Oliver though struggling to keep his mental instinct to fight back at bay. He didn't know if he could take Billy as he was now but the ex-ASIS agent believed him to be nothing but a weak civilian who washed up on shore. The element of surprise would make it easier to escape but if he did get away Fyers would know and plan accordingly.

As Fyers made it to the exit Oliver saw a body come flying in knocking the mercenary off his feet and into the box in the corner.

 _"He made it."_ Oliver sighed in relief as Yao-Fei came running in firing two quick arrows. One hit its mark cutting him loose but like last time Billy caught the arrow aimed at him and snapped the head off rushing the Chinese prisoner.

Watching the two men fight Oliver ripped the arrow Yao-Fei had used to free him from the pole it was stuck in and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. Last time he had just fallen to the ground and waited as Yao-Fei fought against Slade's old partner. This time he was ending it right here. Billy wasn't leaving this tent alive.

 _"There!"_ Darting forward arrow in hand when Yao-Fei blocked Billy's sword and fist he drove the stone head into the masked man's neck. Stepping back as Billy fell to his knees he looked up at Yao-Fei who looked shocked that he had just killed someone.

"We need to go." He said and bolted from the tent waiting until he heard Yao-Fei's footsteps behind him before really starting to run.

Sprinting through the trees he ignored the burning in his chest and the small cuts beginning to sprout on his arms and legs as branches dug into his skin. As the shouts of the mercenaries' started to fade he saw Yao-Fei dart in front of him and motion for him to follow.

"Cave this way."

* * *

XxX

Yao-Fei's Cave

"You are stronger than I thought." Yao-Fei handed the small brown bag of herbs to Oliver. "Even after I tell you island dangerous you still not tell them where to find me. You are stronger than I thought."

"Wait-" Oliver said as the herbs were placed in his hands and Yao-Fei shoved him to the floor. "Wait!"

Yao-Fei ignored him and left the cave collapsing the entrance as he went sealing him inside. Again.

Sitting alone in the dark he heard the distance sounds of gunfire as he unscrewed a bottle of water and took a pinch of herbs from the bag. Swallowing the healing herbs he washed them down with water and lied back closing his eyes as the plants went to work.

* * *

XxX

Two Weeks Later

Alone in Yao-Fei's cave, Oliver sat against the far side of the wall alternating between checking the bird roasting on the fire and watching the door for any sign of Yao-Fei's return.

He couldn't recall from memory how long he had waited the first time since he was delirious and nearly dead from lack of food so waiting was all he could do. That and plan. There was still nearly five years of things he needed to change. People he needed to save and he had nearly doomed them. He had let his knowledge of the future make him feel invincible and the price of that mistake was almost his life.

Looking down at his chest he ran a hand over the black shirt stretched across his body. He could feel the scars hidden underneath. Old and new.

 _"I can't just do what I did last time."_ He thought picking up a flat rock and a stone arrowhead from the pile he had made the past two weeks. Living through life again had given him a second chance and up until now, he had only tried to save his father. And he failed.

Maybe that's why he was hesitant to start changing things. Because if he did and the ones he was trying to save still died it would be his fault. But if he let the world run its course and they died it was also his fault. Even more so because he would have had the chance to stop it and didn't.

Lost in thought he didn't notice he had started to press the arrowhead down too hard until it was too late.

"Dammit!" Throwing the chipped triangular stone away he leaned against the wall closing his eyes. Things were supposed to have been easier this time.

On the other side of the cave, the entrance rumbled shocking Oliver to his feet as light bled into the dark.

"You are not dead," Yao-Fei said walking in, same as he had the first time. Behind him being led like a dog on a leash was Fyers who had vines wrapped around his wrist keep his hands together.

"You." Oliver hissed and there was no need to fake his anger. He had enough of that inside of him to hate Edward Fyers for five lifetimes and he was only on the second. He looked at Yao-Fei who didn't seem surprised at his anger.

"He's the maniac who had me tortured!"

Climbing to his feet he stuck out slamming at boot into the bastards ribs.

"Stop! Stop!" Yao-Fei pushed him away stopping Fyers from getting a beating.

"How would have killed me!"

Yao-Fei held out his knife. "Then you kill him."

 _"It's time to start changing things."_

"Then you kill him," Yao-Fei said. "Or he can-"

Oliver snatched the knife from mentors hand and stalked towards Fyers who was staring wide-eyed at him. He had no doubts in his mind that Fyers was scared. Lying helpless on the ground and realizing that Oliver was a killer and he was about to die.

Pressing the blade against the mercenary throat his mind flashed back to the first time he had killed him. To save Shado.

 _"Shado."_ Oliver hesitated. What was he condemning her to if he killed Fyers?

Fyers noticed the hesitation and took advantage looking at Yao-Fei over Oliver's shoulder. "Shado."

Oliver felt a hand on his shoulder and barely stopped himself from lashing out as he was dragged backward and shoved to the ground.

"What did you say?" Yao-Fei demanded and while he couldn't see his face Oliver could tell from the slight breaking in his voice that Yao-Fei was reaching conclusions in his mind.

On the ground, Fyers sat up smirking at the two prisoners. "I said Shado. You're daughters name Yao-Fei. And if you don't kill your friend and turn yourself over to me my men will kill her. And that's all they will do if she's lucky."

Oliver stifled a gasp and shot forward smashing a fist into the back of Yao-Fei's head as hard as he could knocking the Chinese man out cold.

Stepping over Yao-Fei body he looked down at Fyers who was still smirking. He hated this man for threatening Shado and for changing things this much.

"Glad to see you have some survival instincts. Friends or not he would kill you without hesitation to save his daughter." Fyers said nodding to the unconscious body next to him. "You're a good man, I can te-"

Oliver cut him off with a boot to the face sending him to join Yao-Fei in the land of dreams.

Leaving the bodies where they were he started moving around the cave gathering any supplies he would be able to carry in the backpack. Weapons first and then water and after that the equipment he had brought with from Starling. Not all of it would fit in the bag but he could return in a few days to check if Fyers men ransacked the place or not.

Slinging the now packed bag over his shoulder he tucked the pistol he had behind his back and grabbed the bag of magic herbs on Yao-Fei's side of the cave.

"I'm sorry." He said and bolted from the cave. He owed Yao-Fei his life but he didn't need Fyers to tell him that he would die if he stuck around until they woke up.

* * *

XxX

(One Week later)

 _"I wish I knew what tent she was being held in."_

Lying flat against the ground on a rocky cliff overlooking Fyers main base of operation Oliver held a pair of binoculars to his eyes watching as dozens masked men went about their business. It was going to be risky and one wrong move would put him right in Fyers hands but Shado was being held somewhere down there and he was going to save her.

No more doing it by the book.

He didn't know why he was back or if his meta-human theory was correct but he was living his life again and playing it safe had nearly gotten him killed.

Stuffing the binoculars into one of the pockets on his vest he pulled the black balaclava down over his face. It wasn't the same one he stolen last time but they were all identical so it didn't matter. He would fit in and be able to walk around the camp searching for Shado in plain sight. As long as he didn't go near Fyers.

Making his way down the cliff slowly as it was nearing dark and his vision wasn't the best he slung the rifle on his back to his chest and stood straighter when he made it to sea level.

 _"Act like you belong and no one will have reason to believe you don't."_

* * *

XxX

 _"Ba."_

Curled against the side of her bamboo cage Shado stared at her retreating fathers back. This was all her fault. She had started searching for her father and she had trusted the men who had come to her home and now her father had to work for the man responsible for capturing her. All to keep her alive.

Closing her eyes as they began to sting she took deep breaths calming herself. Now was not the time for pity or crying. She needed to escape and rescue her father. After what happened the first day she had been put in her cage and one of the men decided to help himself she knew none of the guards would come near the cage lest they end up like him. But her hands were tied and even if they weren't she had nothing to cut the ropes holding her makeshift cell together.

And even if she did get free, her father was somewhere in the camp surrounded by Fyers men. Getting to him would be next to impossible.

"Shado?"

Broken out of her thoughts Shado looked up at the single guard standing at the front of the tent.

"What do you want?" She demanded as the mercenary began walking towards her. Her legs tensed as he got closer and closer preparing to wrap around him, and not in the way he was hoping.

Oliver stopped at the edge of the cage and couched down drawing his knife. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Beginning to saw at the ropes holding the cage together he couldn't stop his eyes from rising to meet hers every few seconds. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Even if she was glaring him to death.

Narrowing her eyes as the guard cutting into her cage laughed under his breath she decided she wasn't going to wait and lashed out slamming the bottom of her foot against the cage wall where the guard's fingers were crushing them.

"Son of a-" Biting his tongue Oliver pulled his hand away and pulled his balaclava up to his forehead revealing his face. "I am trying to rescue you and you are not helping."

"Rescue me?" Shado stared at the face of her rescuer. Longish dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that were looking at her with... _not lust?_ Frowning she craned her neck and looked over his shoulder. "Who are you? Where are the other guards?"

Going back to cutting at the ropes Oliver kept his balaclava up. "My name is Oliver Queen, I was shipwrecked on the island and your father, Yao-Fei, he helped me. Now, I'm returning the favor."

"You know my father?"

Oliver nodded as he broke through the first set of ropes and moved to the second. "Yes, Fyers told him you were his prisoner and unless he killed me you were going to die. I knocked him and your father out and escaped. And I'm guessing since you are still alive, Yao-Fei is working for them now?"

"Yes, how did-"

"Like said. I was with him when Fyers made the offer." Oliver smiled as the second set of ropes came loose. Sheathing his knife he grabbed the bottom of the cage and lifted up.

"Crawl through."

Rolling onto her stomach Shado used her forearms and dragged herself under the cage door like a worm.

"Here." Oliver re-drew his knife and cut the rope holding Shado's hands together and handed her the knife when he was done. "Wait here."

Pulling his balaclava back down he walked out of the tent looking around to make sure there were no guard's close by. When he saw the coast was clear he ducked back inside and froze as cold steel pressed against his neck.

"How do I know you're not leading me to your friends?" Shado asked pressing the blade harder against Oliver's neck. She had fallen once for the 'I know your father trick'. It was how Fyers captured her after all. She wouldn't make that mistake twice.

"Because Fyers would kill whoever jeopardized your safety. He needs you to keep your father in line." Oliver said and winced when he felt a drop of blood run down his throat. "And because the only friend I have on the island is currently working for the man who is trying to kill me. Coincidentally, he and your father have the same name so, let's put the knife away."

Shado pulled the knife away but made no move to hand it back. "We need to find my father."

"No," Oliver shook his head. "We need to leave and get as far away from camp as possible. When Fyers realizes you're gone he's going to have men scouring the island for you."

"And he might kill my father," Shado argued trying to move around Oliver but he stepped in front of her.

"Fyers needs something from Yao-Fei. I don't know what, but he needs him alive." Oliver grabbed her wrist and started pulling her behind him.

Ripping her arm away from him Shado glared. "I'm not leaving. I searched for my father for years, and now that I've found him you want me to leave him to die? I won't."

"Listen to me," He hissed grabbing her arm. "If we stay here we are dead and your dad is dead. I want to save Yao-Fei too but we need a plan and we can't make one here."

"I can't-"

Like lighting, Oliver hit Shado upside the head before she could react and caught her in his arms before she could fall to the floor. Lifting her up he set her on his shoulder and left the tent.

He was starting to get tired of knocking his old friends out.

* * *

 **Third chapter up and Oliver is starting to make some changes.**

 **I hope you guys are liking the story, leave a review with what you think so far**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

 _"You!"_

"Hey! Hey!" Throwing his arms up as Shado attacked him Oliver blocked a few hits before he started to let the rest land. He hadn't been on the island long enough to learn how to beat someone as well trained as Shado in a fight so he had to play his part.

He winced as another jab hit right below his eye. _"Even if it hurts like hell."_

Tripping on a loose rock as he stepped back he fell on his back and gasped as Shado dropped down on top of him straddling his waist fist raised.

Closing his eyes he waited for the attack to come, but it never did.

Cracking one eye open after a few beats he looked up into Shado's angry eyes and sighed.

"I'm guessing a sorry isn't going to cut it?"

"You left my father to die!" Shado shouted smacking her 'rescuer' with an open palm. If she thought he would be grateful he was wrong. Her father was now Fyers prisoner.

Trying to sit up Oliver was shoved back down and groaned as his shoulders were forced onto a particularly sharp rock under him. "Yao-Fei will be fine."

Shado shoved harder and the rock broke the skin but Oliver swallowed the pain that shot through his back. It was nothing compared to what he had been through. He could deal with it.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Fyers has made sure that Yao-Fei doesn't die. Why I don't know but he has gone so far as to track you down and bring you here to get your father under control. He won't kill him until whatever he has planned comes to fruition." He lied. Technically it wasn't a lie since Fyers did, in fact, need Yao-Fei alive to frame him but the way he was telling it was the lie. Not that she would have believed him if he had told her he was from ten years in the future anyway.

Climbing off of him Shado sat down beside him folding her knees underneath her. "What are his plans?"

"I don't know?"

"Then how do you know we will be able to save my father before it is too late?"

Oliver shook his head as he sat up only wincing slightly at the stinging in his back. "I don't."

Which was another lie because he did know Fyers timetable and they still had a few months before China White's plane flew over the island. Except he couldn't tell her that because time travel was crazy and even if there was a chance she would believe him, living life a second time was a secret he was taking to his grave.

"Then you might as well have sentenced him to die." Shado spat at him in anger.

Pulling his shirt off Oliver walked over to the boxes set up in the corner of his new cave and flipped the smallest one open. Inside he rummaged through the more useless things he had stolen from the camp Fyers had him tortured in until he found the small mirror.

"It doesn't look that bad. You won't need stitches."

Oliver held the mirror up and checked his wound himself. She was right, the rock hadn't gone in deep enough for stitches.

Behind him, Shado stood up watching him with the smirk that he used to find cute. "I was pre-med before Fyers men kidnapped me."

"Yeah well, I doubt you have my best intentions in mind." He said and placed the mirror back inside the case and pulled his shirt back on. Maybe once upon a time, in another life, she would have cared but right now she saw him as the reason her father might die. And that meant he was not on her side and vice versa.

"We need to make a plan to save my father. And we need to hurry."

Using his sleeve Oliver wiped the blood from under his nose. "Hurrying is only going to get us killed. We are outnumbered and outgunned. Fyers has to know you are gone by now and will keep that a secret from Yao-Fei. It's the only reason your father was working for him. If he finds out you're gone he might try to escape himself and as good as he is-"

"He might die." Shado finished when Oliver didn't.

"No," Oliver shook his head. "Fyers for some reason doesn't want Yao-Fei dead. He might lock him up but we can't have that either because it will make rescuing him more complicated."

Shado eyes tightened and she stepped forward. "I don't mind complicated if it means saving my father."

Oliver frowned confused at her attitude. She was acting differently. He remembered her as kind and trusting but she was acting completely differently.

 _"Because Slade and I weren't trying to save her and Yao-Fei."_ He realized. That was what had changed, the circumstances of them meeting. Yes, he had saved her but she wasn't worried about herself she was worried about Yao-Fei and all he was to her right now was the man who abandoned him in the lion's den.

Right now he wasn't an ally until he proved otherwise.

"Well?" Shado asked when her savior stayed silent.

"Well, what?" Oliver sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was not liking having Shado as an enemy.

"How are we going to save my father?"

Yeah, Oliver decided. He needed to make friends with Shado fast because he did like this side of her being directed at him at all.

* * *

XxX

(One week later)

Waking up to a quiet cave Oliver looked over at the sleeping mound on the other side of his new home and slowly got up moving past it towards the entrance. He didn't want to deal with that right now. He had had enough of it since she arrived.

Stepping into the morning light he took off into the forest. Running helped clear his head and since he had saved Shado he had been doing a lot of it.

Since he had been back he had stuck mostly to the script until he saved Shado and now he was getting a very clear message that changing things weren't always going to go his way. He had believed that with his future knowledge he could make everything better. But in doing so he was going to make some things worse.

Like his relationship with Shado. The first time around they had an instant connection, or so he thought. She had offered to train him and then there was their kiss and more by the river. This time he had saved her earlier than before and she practically hated him.

 _"Not that it matters._ " He thought as he brushed branches from his path and leaping over fallen trees, He could take that hate if it meant sparing the friends he had failed even a minute of pain.

No, the point was he was going to have to live with whatever consequences came with his actions. Whatever they may be.

Arriving back at the entrance of the cave he wiped the sweat from his forehead as he went back inside a grin on his face. He hadn't been out of breath after his run for three days in a row now. His body was starting to get used to the rigors of the island. That was good. He still had nearly three years left to spend on it.

"Where have you been?" Shado demanded as he walked further into the cave.

Grabbing his canteen he unscrewed the cap. "Outside, training."

"Training?" She asked as he nodded while taking a drink.

"Yes, training. For the inevitable fight that is looming." He said copying Slade's words. "If I don't, I won't be of much use against Fyers army of mercenary's."

"No, you won't. But that's why we train together."

Unable to help himself he grinned. "I thought we trained together because it gave you an excuse to hit me?"

He saw her lips twitch like she was going to smile but it was gone as soon as he saw it and he sighed. He had accepted that Shado didn't like him, not as a lover or even as a friend but that didn't mean it still didn't hurt when she shut him out.

"If I wanted to hit you, I would," Shado said and turned away missing Oliver's grin grow wider.

 _"Yeah, because I would let you."_ He kept those words to himself but he believed them to be true. He had been fighting for a decade and had been trained by some of the best fighters on the planet, he was pretty sure if he wanted to he could take Shado down. But then again his body still wasn't at its peak condition like when he went home the first time. So maybe she would still win.

Shado turned around to ask about their plan to save her father and frowned when she saw Oliver staring at the ground blankly. "Are you okay?"

Startled Oliver looked up and shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. "I'm fine."

That was the last thing he needed right now. Shado thinking he was crazy.

"Who's Laurel?" She asked and he cringed knowing why she would ask.

Last night he had dreamt of Laurel's death at the hands of Damien Darhk. He must have said her name sometime in the night and Shado must have heard.

Swallowing the sadness that always accompanied thinking of his first love he smiled sadly. "She was my girlfriend before I left with my dad and ended up here."

"I'm sure she will be happy you're alive."

 _"I wish you would have rotten in hell a lot longer than five years."_

Oliver shook his head as the words Laurel had spoken echoed in his mind. "I doubt it. Before I got on the boat we broke up. I cheated on her with her sister so I'm pretty sure she wishes I was dead."

Shado looked at him with disgust and scoffed turning away and walking out of the cave.

Letting her go he started to get dressed for the rescue mission to save Yao-Fei. Shado wouldn't be speaking to him for a few hours. It was what she did the first time she had learned of what he was like before he had been stranded on the island.

Shado was a good and kind person and she had believed him to be the same and he let her. She didn't know what he was truly like until Sara had come back from the dead and if Ivo hadn't killed her he didn't think she would like who he had become either.

The monster that used the hood her father wore as an excuse to murder and torture his enemies.

He tightened his stolen tactical vest over his chest and grabbed the G36 assault rifle leaning against the cave wall.

Now dressed in full merc gear he left the cave pulling the black balaclava from his pants pocket and sliding it over his face hiding everything but his eyes. Fyers had been able to tell who he was the first time because according to him 'one could always find the truth in a man's eyes.'

And this time if Fyers saw him, he would just see another killer.

"Shado, are you ready?" He asked walking towards his partner for the time being.

"We've waited long enough." Shado held out her hands. "Let's go."

* * *

XxX

(That Night)

"This is a stupid idea," Shado muttered under her breath as she was led handcuffed through the woods by Oliver.

"Then why did you agree to it?" Oliver asked despite already knowing the answer.

"Because I need to save my father." They both said at the same time with Oliver grinning underneath his mask as Shado glared over her shoulder at him but stayed silent as they were nearing the camp.

Oliver tensed as they stood at the edge of the tree line still hidden from view. He could see the three guards patrolling the prisoner's cages but he couldn't see Yao-Fei yet.

"We-"

"Not yet, Shado. This won't work unless Yao-Fei is with us at the cages." Oliver whispered. "We can't fight off the entire camp.

"What if he's not here?"

"He's been stationed here for nearly five days and he always feeds the prisoners." He said pushing down old feelings that were bubbling up inside of him as he watched the camp.

It hadn't taken him long to recognize the place where Yao-Fei had 'betrayed' then 'killed' him. He had known what it was since the first day he and Shado had done recon of the area and saw Yao-Fei walking around. He had gotten another bruise stopping her from going to him again courtesy of her right hook.

"There he is." Oliver shoved Shado forwards as Yao-Fei stepped out of one of the tents.

Ignoring the glare he got for pushing her as he led her forward steadying his breathing as they got closer to the camp. If this plan didn't work and they were caught there was no way they would be able to escape the camp.

 _"The supply plane is only days away."_ Rescuing Yao-Fei was now or wait another three months and risk his future from coming true.

* * *

XxX

 _"Shado!"_

Smiling underneath his balaclava Oliver let go of the rope tethering Shado to him and pulled the blackface disguising him up revealing himself to Yao-Fei before his mentor could get the wrong idea and attack him.

"We need to get moving." He said breaking the family moment up as Yao-Fei pulled away from his daughter.

"You bring her here?" The prisoner demanded angrier than Oliver had ever seen him.

"Hey, it was either this or her attacking the camp alone," Oliver said in his defense. And it was true. He knew Shado well enough to know that if he hadn't come up with this plan she would have tried to rescue her father on her own. Then she would have been caught and he would be back to square one in trying to get everyone off the island, alive.

Stepping between her dad and Oliver Shado shook her head. "Now is not the time. We need to leave before someone notices."

"What do we have here?" A guard called walking closer to the trio his mask doing nothing to hide the _interest_ in his eyes as he stared at Shado.

 _"Of course,"_ Oliver growled and dragged his mask back down over his face. It wouldn't be one of his plans if something he had no control over didn't happen and complicate everything.  
"Yao-Fei, take Shado and get going. She can lead you to where we have been staying and I'll meet you there."

Before either of them could protest he turned around and slammed a fist into the other guards face attracting the attention of three other men standing farther away by a fire.

"Go!" He whispered as the other guards ran towards him. The only reply he got was the sound of retreating footsteps.

"Hey, what's going on over here?" One of Fyers men asked while the other two checked on the man on the ground.

Oliver held up his hands. "Nothing, just a misunderstanding. I'm new on the Island, he was trying to get me to believe that everyone new only got half portions of food."

* * *

XxX

"We should not have left him."

In the cave she had shared with Oliver for the last week Shado agreed but wasn't willing to risk going back for him. It was wrong of her, and she felt guilty but she had just gotten her father back. After years of searching for him, being kidnapped by Fyers and then freed only to have to leave him behind to work for Fyers she couldn't risk losing him. Not again.

"Fyers has probably already been notified that you escaped. We can't go back for him. Not now." She said searching through the boxes Oliver had stacked in the back of the cave.

It had been nearly a day since Oliver had told them to flee Fyers camp leaving him behind to deal with the guards. By now the mercenary would have his men scouring the island.

Yao-Fei looked at his daughter, the disbelief he felt that she would leave someone to die clear in his eyes. "He saved you."

"He did." Shado nodded. It was true. But that didn't change the fact that he had left her father in the hands of a monster. "And if we go back for him we will all die."

"Good to know you care."

"Your alive!"

Standing at the entrance to the cave Oliver limped inside his pants slick with blood and sticking to his leg. Staring at Shado as he sat down on one of the black cases he had stolen from Fyers camp before rescuing her he unbuttoned his pants.  
"Yes, I am."

"How?" Yao-Fei asked and Oliver frowned at the older man as Shado moved closer to him to get a better look at his wound.

He moved his hands away when she touched them and let her work.

"I didn't lead them here if that's what you think. I wouldn't do that." Oliver said and it was the truth. Even with everything he knew about the future, what he had to do, he would die on the island before letting Fyers get to Shado and Yao-Fei again.

Hissing as Shado pressed down on his leg he glared at her. "A little warning next time."

"Don't be such a baby." She reached up and tapped his chest where she knew one of the five gruesome scars were. "These had to hurt more than this. Where did you get them?"

"Fyers captured me a few weeks after I was shipwrecked. He wanted me to tell him where your father was." He told her. "I didn't. So he had some maniac in an orange mask torture me. Your father saved me."

"Wintergreen."

Shado looked up at her father who had spoken. Oliver did too and he put on a confused face to hide the fact he already knew who he had killed.

"Wintergreen?"

"Yes, the name of man you killed." Yao-Fei looked at Oliver. "One of ASIS agent sent to rescue me. He betrayed partner to work for Fyers."

"He killed his partner?"

Yao-Fei shook his head. "No, you meet him tomorrow. Tonight rest."

Oliver wasn't going to argue with that. Once Shado had finished wrapping the bandages above his knee he stood up and limped over to the sleeping bag he had set up in the back corner only stopping to open a case a toss Yao-Fei the extra one he had.

"Oliver," Shado said as Oliver laid down.

Peering back at her over his shoulder he saw her smiling at him and smiled back. His leg was still throbbing but Shado finally resembled the woman he had known his first year on the island and he was happy. Hurting, but happy.

"Thank you."

* * *

XxX

"So, the Wintergreen guy's partner?" Oliver asked as he and Shado followed Yao-Fei through the woods to Slade's fuselage.

"Slade Wilson. We had a plan to escape the island, before you and Shado." Yao-Fei said as the group made it to the clearing where the wreckage of a plane sat dug into the earth.  
"We are here. Follow me."

Oliver nodded remembering Slade's greeting the first time they met. _"Twitch and I will open your voice box."_

"Yao-Fei!" Slade's rough voice called and Oliver stopped as the Australian man walked out of the plane heading straight for them and glaring at him and Shado.  
"Who are they?"

"Fyers brings my daughter to island." Yao-Fei explained in his broken English and Slade nodded before turning his stare to Oliver.

"And him?"

"He was shipwrecked. Rescued my daughter. We help him leave island."

Slade growled at the change of plans but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He needed Yao-Fei's help to take the airstrip, the only way off the island. "Fine. But that is your debt to pay. If he slows me down I will leave him behind."

Having spent over a year living in close quarters with the man Oliver wasn't surprised by the threat. Slade had said nearly the same thing before. What he did notice was how the agent left Shado out of it. Slade had loved Shado before but they had just met so that wasn't it. Which meant he did it to keep on Yao-Fei's side. That wasn't a surprise either.

Slade didn't know him or Shado. All he knew was that he couldn't take the airstrip alone and Yao-Fei was a good fighter. Threatening Shado would pit Yao-Fei against him instead of with him and that would jeopardize his escape from Lian Yu.

"You two," Slade growled pointing at Oliver and Shado. "Stay out here and keep watch. Yao-Fei and I need to have a talk."

Oliver nodded which seemed to please Slade but Shado glared back at the Australian and retorted. "Why? About what?"

"Our plan to leave his place."

"Then count us in. We are apart of this too." Shado turned to Oliver. "Right?"

Holding up his hands Oliver shrugged. "I'm sure they already have a plan Shado. And when they finalize the details I'm sure they'll let us in on it."

 _"Let her in on it."_ He thought as Shado glared at him. Since he already knew the plan she was the only one out of the loop. Not that she or anyone other than him knew that.

As Slade and Yao-Fei walked back to the downed plane Shado whirled on Oliver.

"What was that?" She demanded angrily. "We don't know this man. This _Slade_. He could be leading us into a trap."

"Shado, we don't know each other." Oliver lied because he knew Slade and her very well. Yao-Fei not so much but he hadn't spent as much time with him as he did the others.  
"All I know is that I want to leave this island. And your dad and Slade have been working on doing that longer than we have."

Shado didn't reply turning away from Oliver leaving him to stare at her back whenever he looked over at her while they waited for Slade and Yao-Fei to return.

Sighing he watched the trees acting the part of keeping watch because he knew no one would be coming. He didn't understand why she was still mad at him. They had saved Yao-Fei, just like he said. Didn't that make him right?

 _"This sucks."_ He had been hoping once they saved Yao-Fei she would start acting warmer towards him. Wrapping his leg last night was a start but it seemed any progress made then had been washed away when he didn't side with her against Slade.

 _"Slade."_ Glancing towards the fuselage his hands balled into fists. Keeping everything that wanted to spill out at seeing the man again was harder than he anticipated. If he got into an argument with him he didn't know if he could control himself.

He wanted to save Slade. To stop someone he saw as a brother from falling into insanity. But all he could see when he looked at his first friend on the island was his mother's glassy eyes.

* * *

 **Update or Fourth chapter!**

 **Chapters were starting to get too short so I added the fifth chapter onto this one instead of posting it as it's own.**

 **I hope you guys are liking the story, leave a review with what you think so far and pairing choice. Poll is also up if you want to vote! I have story lines for each choice so top three will their own story posted here or on Ao3**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow**

 **Review Q &A**

 **Q: WinterRain36: I was wondering though why does Oliver have to stay on the Island for three more years. I was confused by that. Is he not planning to escape with the others when they capture the airfield?**

 **A: He has to come back to the island to stop Ivo from discovering the Mirakuru and to save Taiana and stop Baron Reiter.**

 **Hope this clears things up, and thank you for commenting!**

 **Now onto the story!**

* * *

XxX

"Listen up, kids."

Next to Oliver Shado bristled as Slade began talking.

"Given you and your fathers escape," Slade addressed Shado who stared back at him coldly obviously disliking the name she had been given. "Yao-Fei and I have decided to wait to execute our escape plan until the next supply plane lands."

 _"Three months?"_ Oliver frowned. Why would Slade agree to wait another three months before escaping? Last time he had only stayed on the island to save him from being killed in Fyers camp after he left to save Yao-Fei. But they were all together now. Nothing was stopping them from leaving. So why wait?

"Why?" Shado asked making Oliver's inner question vocal.

"A supply plane will be landing in two days. Fyers will have his men searching the island for _you_ around the clock." Slade growled pointing a finger at Shado. "You're his leverage against Yao-Fei. He needs you and your father alive. Taking the airstrip now will be risking too many complications. If we fail and aren't killed or are captured in the process Fyers will know our plan and act accordingly in the future. Making escaping this place more of a challenge than it already is."

Shado lips twisted down in a frown. "Airstrip? Is that how we are getting off the island, stealing a plane?"

"Yes." Slade answered before turning to Oliver. "Yao-Fei, says you brought gear with you to the island."

"Yeah, I was going hiking in chi-" Oliver started to tell the lie he had constructed but Slade interrupted him.

"I don't care. Half of it will come with us, the other half will stay with them." Slade nodded to the Asian father and daughter.

"What do you mean?" Now Oliver was frowning. Were the four of them splitting up? That couldn't happen. How was he supposed to keep them safe if he wasn't with them?

Slade confirmed his fears. "You and I will stay here and train. Yao-Fei and his daughter will remain in the cave where you have been staying."

"Why?"

Flinching as he got an _'are you really this stupid'_ glare from his friend/enemy Oliver nodded and answered his own question. "All of us being together wraps us in gift wrapping if Fyers ever finds us."

 _"I should have known that."_ It was obvious why they couldn't all stay together. But he had been so caught up in trying to keep everyone alive he didn't think about the danger of staying together. _"That can't happen again."_

If he wanted to survive the next five years he couldn't act without thinking. It would get him killed.

"Let's get moving," Slade ordered and shoved a pistol into Oliver's chest. "I don't want to be lugging anything through the dark."

The next few hours passed in relative silence, only breaking when Slade barked an order that Oliver followed, usually without complaint. It wasn't how he wanted to spend his day, tearing down the base he had built and moving heavy boxes across the island but he knew it was necessary. Slade wouldn't change his decision to split them into two groups and Oliver wasn't sure if he wanted him to.

It would be easier for him to keep everyone safe if they were together but it was a catch twenty-two. Last time Fyers wasn't actively searching for them because he already had Yao-Fei and Shado. He wasn't sure how different surviving the next three months was going to be. The only thing that was guaranteed was that it wasn't going to get any easier.

* * *

XxX

Crouching in front of the busted radio he had fixed last time Oliver chewed off the rubber around two of the wires before spinning them together and taping them at the end.

On the other side of the plane, Slade was busy unpacking the crates they had spent the last two days moving to the plane and unpacking the equipment inside.  
"Why would you need this for hiking?" He asked holding up a grappling hook.

"I thought you didn't care?" Oliver shot back without thinking or looking up from his work. After a beat, he heard Slade start to growl and smirked. "I told my mom I was going hiking, but I was actually going to go rock climbing. She wouldn't let me go if I had told her, says it's too dangerous."

It was easy for him to slip back into the friendship he once shared with a man who was once his greatest enemy. Maybe too easy. He hadn't trained seriously since arriving at the plane. Focusing on getting the radio to work so they could hear Fyers but also taking his time so it wasn't suspicious. Shipwrecked billionaires weren't supposed to be able to fix radio's in a couple of hours.

"Huh?" Slade dropped the four barbed hook back into the crate. "I didn't take you for the risk-taking type. You seemed to have lacked the spine. And quit messing with that. It got busted in the crash. It's broken."

Snorting Oliver wrapped the end of the two wires together with tape and set them down before reaching for the next pair he needed to fix. "I rescued Shado from Fyers, that was a risk. And for the record, I used to help my dad do maintenance on the planes he owned. I'm pretty sure I can get this working."

"Really?" Slade raised an eyebrow. Yao-Fei had told him a little about Oliver Queen. How he had been tortured by billy for Yao-Fei's location but didn't give in. And how the kid had killed his ex-partner with an arrow to the throat. The kid wasn't as weak as he first thought but he wasn't going to put in his hope of getting off the island in anyone's hands but his own. He had made that mistake once before, and he wouldn't make it again.

"Well, not fully," Oliver admitted and ignored the snort of derision from Slade. "We might not be able to call out, the mics busted and I can't fix that. But we'll be able to hear other frequency's. Like-"

"The one Fyers and his men use." Slade's eyes widened as he caught onto the kid's plan. "We would be able to hear everything they say."

Maybe he had underestimated the kid after all. Not that he blamed himself for doing it. Oliver didn't look like he could fight his way out of a paper bag. But there was a kind of steel under the kids unassuming exterior that he hadn't expected. Being able to keep silent during torture and possibly gaining them access to direct intelligence on Fyers.

 _"He just might be useful after all."_

* * *

XxX

(The Next Day)

"It's useless, kid," Slade growled stepping into the plane two rabbits held in his hand. "You've been working on that thing for two days now. If it was fixable it'd be working by now."

Taping the last of the wires he needed together Oliver stood up as the radio powered filling the plane with foreign voices. looking over at his roommate for the next three months he grinned.

"If you hadn't dragged me outside for hours a day to train I would have had it done sooner."

 _"Son of a bitch,"_ Slade whispered in disbelief dropping the rabbits. "You actually did it."

"Continue approach. Big jet 365."

Shoving Oliver to the side he picked up the microphone. "Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is wedge-tail 325. Pilot and passenger down"

"Big jet 365, cleared to land. Runway 2-7 right, wind, 2-7-0 degrees, 10 knots." The radio continued as if Slade hadn't spoken.

"I repeat-pilot and passenger down on the island of Lian Yu. Request immediate rescue."

"We can't call out, Slade," Oliver said as Slade set the mic down with force but was careful to miss any wires. "I told you days ago I wouldn't be able to fix that."

Slade nodded. He remembered but he still had to try even if he didn't think it would work. Just in case.

"0500 hours from my mark. Final deployment is five by five."

"That's Fyer's." Oliver said in triumph that he didn't need to fake. "We're gonna know everything he does."

"No, kid." Slade shook his head. "Fyers isn't a fool. Orders over the radio will be just that, orders. He will keep everything else in person. No chance of someone listening in then."

Oliver nodded but knew that wasn't true. Fyers knew Slade and Yao-Fei were the only ones on the island. And now him. The mercenary didn't know the boy he had tortured knew how to fix a plane radio. And with Slade's plane wrecked he believed the only radios on the island belonged to him. And in three days they would learn about Scylla. Fyers missile launcher.

 _"Best make sure I'm wearing my mercenary disguise."_ He thought his mind already planning on how to work this new angle to get Shado, Yao-Fei, and Slade off the island. However, until the time came when he could execute it he had to start rebuilding his friendship with Slade. Not only to keep the man he once called brother from becoming the monster who killed his mother but to help ease his guilt for creating that monster.

Slade wouldn't have needed the Mirakuru if he hadn't run them into a bombing trying to save Shado who didn't need saving, and if he had never cheated with Sara Ivo would have never made him choose and then told Slade his choice. Him choosing to kill Slade instead of curing him when they fought on the Amazo. Everything leading up to Deathstroke had been his own doing. And everything after the monster's creation was his fault.

"Kid?"

"Huh?" Head snapping up as a sword was tossed at him Oliver acted on instinct and caught it by the handle surprising, Slade with his reflexes. "I'm not much of a sword guy."

Which was true. He was good with swords, his training with Slade and the League giving him the skills needed to fight on par with even the best. But the bow would always be his weapon of choice.

"If you're going to have my back," Slade drew his sword from his back. "I need to know you can cover it."

"The Airfield, right." Oliver held up his sword and looked at it. "So we have three months to turn me into a soldier."

It was more than the ten days they worked with the first time around and this time he wasn't going to waste time complaining. Slade was a good fighter, one of the best he had ever fought, next to Malcolm and Ra's.

"Correct." Slade lunged forward swinging his blade at Oliver.

Lifting his own just quick enough Oliver parried the blow to the side taking a step back.

"What are you doing?" Slade demanded as he attacked again. "Fight back!"

Leaning back as Slade's blade passed where his throat had been Oliver used his left forearm to block Slade's back swing and stabbed at the man. It was sloppy and untrained, something he hadn't done in years but it was what was expected of him. And he was always good at playing the person people saw him as.

"You've got some skill." Slade praised before dropping his arm forcing Oliver to pretend to stumble and kicking the kid in the back of the knee sending him to the ground. Pressing against Oliver's Adam's apple he applied just enough pressure with his sword to draw blood. "But you're still a far ways away from being anything more than a minuscule distraction to Fyers men. And I only have three months to turn you into something that will last more than a minute in a fight."

Smirking Oliver crawled back to his feet and held up his sword keeping his body behind the blade. "I'm a fast learner."

* * *

 **End of Chapter five!**

 **I know it's short compared to other chapters in the story but this was more of a chapter to set up for the next two. Oliver's year one arc will be wrapping up in the next two chapters. Twenty thousand words and soon to be my longest story!**

 **Gotten some questions about how I'm going to write year two. If Oliver will inject himself with the Mirakuru to give himself an edge against the threats he knows will be coming to Starling City. Good question but my answer will be to read on. No spoilers!**

 **Anyway, thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited or Reviewed! And I will see you guys next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow**

* * *

XxX

 _"He's getting better."_ Slade thought as he and Oliver traded blows with bamboo escrima sticks. He was holding back tremendously, the kid wouldn't learn anything if he just beat him into the dirt every day, but still. For only a month of training, Oliver had come a long way.

Not that he was ever going to say that out loud.

Swinging faster he caught the younger man across the face snapping Oliver's head to the side.

"Ah!"

"Variable acceleration, kid." Slade dropped his arms to his side as Oliver glared at him holding one hand to his stinging face. "Fighters work in the same pace. Switch the pace at which you fight, and you confuse them giving you the advantage."

"Okay, variable acceleration, got it." Oliver held his sticks up. "Again?"

Slade nodded but their training session was cut short by the radio as it turned on and a voice they hadn't heard before started speaking.

"Scylla is in route. ETA 0600 hours. At the southwest bay."

 _"Waller."_ Behind Slade, hidden from the man's sight as he walked towards the radio Oliver clenched his fists. He had not forgotten the woman. Or that he would be working with her again soon. Not that there was anything he could do about that.

"I'll call you when Scylla is in my possession. Fyers out." The radio went dead leaving the plane in silence until Oliver broke it.

"Who was Fyers talking to?"

"I don't know," Slade admitted grudgingly. It was unknown to the ASIS who Fyer's was working for but he was a mercenary and that meant there was someone pulling his strings from behind the scenes. "Sounds like someone off this island, maybe his benefactor. More importantly, who or what is Scylla?"

Oliver jumped at another chance to let Slade see he wasn't the same dumb kid who had been washed ashore months ago. "The Scylla and Charybdis."

Slade looked over his shoulder raising glaring at him in annoyance. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"It's "The Odyssey," from one of the four nightmare chapters," Oliver explained remembering that this Slade hadn't used the challenge code for the plane yet. "Scylla was a monster."

"Really?" Slade stood up. "I want to meet this monster."

Walking to the case that contained what meager weapons they had he grabbed his swords sheathing them on his back before looking at Oliver.

"Am I going alone?"

"No," Oliver said and grabbed the green vest and black balaclava lying on top of his sleeping mat. Putting them on, he left the mask rolled up sitting on his head like a beanie and reached for his weapons cache. Because apparently now that he had his own Slade didn't want him ruining his weapons.

Sliding a knife into his boot he picked up the Remington model 700 sniper rifle Slade had gifted to him a week prior.

 _"You're not good enough to be of use in close combat. Best you stay back and shoot. Even if you don't hit anything it will force Fyer's men into cover."_ The agent had said before handing the rifle over.

It was an insult to be sure but there was a modicum of respect to his shooting skills in the sentence so Oliver didn't say anything. Slade had never been a sharing your feelings kind of guy. So most of his compliments were backhanded.

"Let's go, kid," Slade ordered leaving the plane and Oliver followed after him.

 _"This is it."_ His plan to get Slade and Shado off the island before Ivo showed up started now.

* * *

XxX

Flat on his chest Oliver crawled across the ground next to Slade as they approached Fyer's main camp. Taking refuge behind two fallen trees he looked through the scope of his rifle as Slade used the binoculars in his vest.

As they surveyed the camp Slade breath hitched as his sight landed on what had to be Scylla. "You were right, kid. Scylla is a monster. A Russian-made S300 anti-aircraft missile launcher. It can simultaneously track up to a hundred targets while engaging with at least a dozen. I mean, from here, they could shoot down a commercial airliner, or start a war."

"Fyer's said that Yao-Fei was a prisoner on this island. That he killed a bunch of people and the Chinese government sentenced him to live the rest of his life here."

"What does that have to do with the missile launcher?" Slade set his binoculars down and turned to stare at Oliver.

"Well, Fyers is working for someone like you said. If they wanted to start a war they would need someone to blame." Oliver explained using his future knowledge to nudge Slade in the direction he wanted.

It didn't take more than a minute for Slade to understand what Oliver was suggesting and when he did his eyes widened a fraction. "He plans to use Yao-Fei as a scapegoat. That's why he wants him alive."

"And why he kidnapped Shado. To force Yao-Fei to act like he was the one shooting the missiles. We can't let him do that to Yao-Fei."

"One of those missiles has an effective range of up to 2,400 kilometers. We're not going anywhere until we figure out what Fyers is planning." Slade said not mentioning Yao-Fei which Oliver noticed.

"Wild guess? He's planning on blowing something up." Oliver said deciding not to mention Slade's dismissal of Yao-Fei's plight.

Slade shook his head. "One of those could do the job. "But this- _this_ is about starting a war."

"With you?"

"Doesn't matter. We have to stop Fyers, before he kills thousands of innocent people."

Oliver looked away from Slade hiding the small smile forming on his face. It was nice, hearing his friend talk about saving people instead of killing them. Gave him hope that what he was doing wasn't in vain. That Slade could be saved.

 _"He was a good man before the Mirakuru."_

"Kid," Slade snapped his fingers in front of Oliver's face. "Don't start spacing out on me. We need to stop that launcher from becoming operational."

"We should tell Yao-Fei and Shado first," Oliver said watching as half a dozen soldiers walked into the camp. "All those soldiers, we're gonna need more than two of us to get past them."

* * *

XxX

(Fuselage)

"Fyer's has a missile launcher?" Shado asked repeating what Slade and Oliver had just finished explaining.

Oliver nodded and looked at Yao-Fei who hadn't said anything. "And he plans to use Yao-Fei as a scapegoat. Because of your history with the Chinese government."

"What we don't know is what Fyers is planning," Slade growled his voice becoming gravelly as it always did when he was angry. "Right now we're working blind. For all we know, he could be planning to use that launcher tomorrow."

"I do."

"You do what?" Slade demanded and Oliver winced as Shado glared at the agent.

"I know what Fyer's is planning."

Stepping towards the young woman Slade was stopped by Yao-Fei and Oliver who placed themselves between the two.

"And when were you planning on sharing that information?"

Shado didn't say anything crossing her arms and raising her chin. She wasn't going to be intimidated.

"Let's not focus on that right now, Slade." Oliver pleaded hoping to stop the fight brewing before it began. "Shado, what is Fyers planning?"

Scoffing the woman broke her staring match with Slade and looked at Oliver. "He plans to stop air traffic to China. By doing so he will destabilize the countries economy."

Slade choked on his own breath at the announcement and Oliver forced his body to tense and his eyes to widen until they looked nearly comical.

"W...what? That's insane." Oliver said faking a nervous laugh. "You got us, good one, Shado. Now if you don't mind, tell us what he's really planning."

He wasn't sure if he was laying it on too thick but no one was looking at him like he was acting weird so Oliver counted it as another victory in his war to keep his secret a secret.

"I did."

 _"No, you really didn't it."_ Oliver knew she wasn't lying but he also knew destabilizing China's economy wasn't what the missile launcher was for. Even Fyers didn't know his real mission. The assassination of the Triad assassin, China White.

"So that's his plan," Slade muttered still glaring at Shado.

Oliver could see why he was angry, Shado had withheld important information from the group. Hell, if he hadn't already known what Fyers was planning he would have been angry himself. But right now they didn't have the luxury of indulging in personal grudges.

"I think I have a plan to stop, Fyers. Not for good but we can take his missile launcher from him." He said and his ex-friends, now fellow prisoners on the island all turned to him. He couldn't call them friends again, not yet. Maybe after his plan worked he could but right now they didn't see him as a friend. Yao-Fei probably did, but Shado and Slade didn't. After being friends with them it was easy to tell how guarded they still were around him.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, kid."

"There are too many guards around the launched for us to take out. One of them would be able to radio Fyers before we could get them all and we'd be canceled. But," Reaching up Oliver pulled the balaclava still on his head and pulled it down. "If I pretend to have captured Slade-"

"The guards would converge putting them in one spot," Slade said finishing the plan.

Clapping a hand on Oliver's shoulder he shook the time traveler.

"That's a good plan, kid. And those soldiers earlier we're carrying boxes of explosives. We can use them to destroy the launcher."

"No," Oliver disagreed. "We steal the circuit board. Computers won't work without them and neither will Fyer's missile launcher."

"Leverage." Slade breathed as the smile on his face grew. "We could use it and force him to give us a way off the island."

Shado snorted breaking the pleasant mood. "Fyers will never let us leave the island. "Oliver's plan could work but he won't give us a way off the island. Even if we have what he needs. He can't risk us warning the mainland of what he has planned."

"That's why we don't agree to meet with him until the day the supply plane lands," Oliver said before Slade and Shado could start another argument. "We tell him to meet us on the other side of the island. And since we will have waited so long to contact him for a trade he will think it's a trap and take his soldiers. You three take the airfield, steal the plane and fly out of here."

"You three?" Slade looked at Oliver with narrowed eyes. "Sounds like you don't plan on coming with us."

"Someone has to meet with Fyers, or he will know something is up."

"No!" Yao-Fei took a step towards Oliver. "You go, I stay."

Grasping her father's arm Shado pulled him back to her. "No, you can't stay here. I just found you."

"She's right, Yao-Fei." Oliver nodded to the man in questions daughter who was in tears at the thought of losing her father. "When my ship went down, I lost my father. Shado has already gone through that pain once. She shouldn't have to go through it again. I will stay behind and meet with Fyers."

* * *

 **Chapter six is up!**

 **Another short chapter I know but I have chapter seven written as well and trying to fit part of it into this chapter to stretch this one makes it feel weird when reading so I'll end it here.**

 **Thanks to everyone reading and head to my profile page to vote in the poll!**

 **You can leave a review with what you think so far too, if you want! ;)**

 **P.S Got A PM asking if I'm going to time skip and start writing Oliver's five years away as flashbacks. My answer was I don't know. Didn't really think about that when I started writing, not sure if it would work as good as flashbacks do on screen. I've got the story planned out so I could start doing that after the Year 1 arc ends. Let me know what you guys want to see. If enough people review saying yes I'll time skip after Year 1 ends.**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

"Hey!" Oliver called out, gaining the mercenaries attention. "I found an intruder while I was circling the perimeter."

"It's Wilson!" One of the mercs said when he got close enough. "You killed a few of my friends, you son of a bitch."

Slade smirked tightening his hold on the two M1911's he was holding behind his back. "And I'm gonna kill a few more."

Pulling his hands from behind his back he opened fire with both guns putting six bullets in six guards and as the cooling bodies dropped to the ground Slade looked back at Oliver who was already moving to the missile launched and grinned.

"Looks like your plan worked kid."

"I guess it did," Oliver said as he pulled open the access door to the launcher. Reaching inside he pulled out the processor chip not having to search for it since he knew where it was and held it up to Slade was reloading his pistols.

"Leverage." They said at the same time and Slade laughed clapping Oliver on the shoulder.

"We're spending to much time together, kid."

Shaking his head Oliver placed their leverage in his vest as the radio on a fallen mercenary crackled to life.

"We're sixty seconds out from the launcher." Fyers voice came from the radio and the sound of tires rolling over dirt reached Oliver and Slade's ears.

"Let's go," Slade ordered and Oliver nodded as they ran back towards the woods where Shado and Yao-Fei were waiting holding a bow and assault rifle respectively in case they had to assist.

As they passed Slade paused and smirked at Shado. "Looks like we didn't need you after all."

 _"If looks could kill."_ Oliver thought as Shado glared at Slade for his jab. His friend would be dead. Looking at Yao-Fei he saw the older man was amused as well and smiled. Before his death in the future, Yao-Fei hadn't smiled much. Oliver was happy his changes were having effects on more than just him and how things turned out.

He was making lives better with what he was doing. And the amused smile the still living Yao-Fei was sporting was proof of that.

* * *

XxX

"Sir, the circuit board is gone."

"I see." Drawing his pistol from his side Fyer's aimed it at the mercenary who had given him the grievous news and pulled the trigger.

The rest of the men didn't link at the casual execution of their comrade. Their leader had never been one to tolerate failure. Killing the messenger sent a message to the rest of them. Even if you weren't the one who failed your life was on the line if someone else did.

"Find Wilson!" Fyers shouted pointing his gun at the other half dozen men gathered before him. "And his pet castaway!"

As his men scattered and began relaying his orders through their radios Fyers holstered his pistol and walked back the jeep he had ridden in on. He needed to make a call.

* * *

XxX

 _(Two Months Later)_

"Alright kid, your plan, your call," Slade said handing the radio they had stolen from one of Fyer's mercs. "Good luck."

Taking the radio Oliver pressed the PTT button and brought it up next to his mouth. "Fyers?"

"The Castaway." Fyers voice crackled back immediately. "I thought I might be hearing from you. However, it took longer than I expected."

Oliver swallowed and looked at Slade who nodded to the radio. If he was alone he could have manipulated Fyers better, but with everyone close to him he still had to act like the inexperienced shipwrecked kid.  
"Yeah, well we've been a little busy trying to stay alive. Lian Yu is a dangerous island after all."

"You have my circuit board."

"We do," Oliver confirmed. "And we want to make a trade. The circuit board for a way off the island."

"You are making a grave mistake. My men are scouring the island for you as we speak. When they find you, they will kill you."

Oliver smirked along with Slade at the obviously empty threat. _"Fyers must be getting desperate."_

That was a good thing. Desperation led to mistakes, and mistakes would make getting Shado, Yao-Fei, and Slade off the island less complicated.

"I want a boat docked at the Northeast coast of the island tomorrow by noon. With enough supplies to last for four people to make it to China. When we are safely away from the island I will radio you and tell you the location of the circuit board.

"And how do I know you will tell me where the circuit board is?" In his camp, Fyers grit his teeth as the boy who had ruined so many of his plans made demands of him. When he caught the castaway he was going to kill him in the slowest most painful way imaginable.

"You don't. But you don't have a choice." Oliver said and turned the radio off. Looking at his friends he smiled. "Think it will work?"

Slade scoffed his smirk vanishing. "It better, kid. Or we're all dead."

"We should get some sleep," Shado said standing up with her father. "Tomorrow is an important day for us all."

"Not all of us," Slade muttered but Oliver heard him and frowned at his friends back. The first time they tried to escape Slade had come back for him and lost his chance to get off the island. To return home to his son. "I won't let him do that again."

Reaching into his vest he pulled out the picture of Laurel she had dropped that day on the dock. Rubbing his thumb across it he smiled. Laurel was wrong when she said that she wasn't the love of his life. He loved Felicity, he did, but she wasn't who he saw in his dream world. That's why he never told her about it. She wouldn't have taken it well. Learning that in his perfect world he was married to Laurel and not her. No one woman would take that well.

He didn't even know why he saw her. There was love between them, always had been, but after everything, they had been through. The cheating, Sara, and Tommy.

 _"It never would have worked between us."_

"Slade," He stood up and walked across the fuselage. "When you get off the island. Do you mind heading to Starling City once you get settled."

"What for, kid?"

Flipping Laurels picture over, Oliver picked up the marker Slade had sitting on top of their map of the island and scribbled a few words down. "I want you to give this to Laurel Lance. She was my-"

Taking the picture Slade smirked. "Don't worry, kid. I'll see that she gets it. Anything else you want me to take. Something for your family?"

"You don't mind?" Oliver asked with slight confusion in his voice. Slade had never been the caring type. They were friends, brothers once and even then Slade was always prickly. It was part of the man's charm.

"Fyers is going to kill you, kid. Maybe not tomorrow or even next week but you won't last long on this island alone." Slade held up Laurel's picture. "You're dying so I can go home to my son. I can take a few days to visit yours."

"Thank you." Oliver took the picture back from Slade and went back to his bunk on the plane opening his bag. Underneath the shirts and pants, at the bottom of the bag were two notebooks. Both leather, one brown, and one black. Taking the black book out he zipped the bag closed.

Sitting down on his sleep bag he opened the notebook and uncapped the marker.

 _"Now, what do I say?"_ He had to be very careful about what he wrote. This was the only chance he was going to get to help his family deal with his loss. To change their lives for the better while he was away. Keep Thea away from drugs. Help Laurel and Tommy move on sooner. Make sure Sara knew not to feel guilty about not coming with him.

But he had to be careful. Thea was only twelve, almost thirteen when he left. She wasn't doing drugs yet, so he had to word it in a way that kept her away from drinking and drugs but didn't make it seem like he knew that was what she was doing. The others would be easier.

"Kid, you gonna stare at the pages all night or actually write something?"

"These are my last words to my family, Slade." Oliver sighed as he lied. "Not just any old words will do."

Slade rolled over putting his back to Oliver. "I know, kid. But you can't afford to stay up all night worrying about it. Fyer's men won't care if you're tired. They will still shoot you the moment they see you."

"I know," Oliver leaned back in his bunk using his legs to prop up his notebook.

 _"Thea, I'm sorry I'm gone. But know that I love you so much..."_

* * *

XxX

 _(Next Day)_

"Six...seven...eight guards." Slade counted scanning the airstrip with the scope of his sniper rifle. "I can take seven with my sniper rifle, but the guard in the tower is still a problem. Yao-Fei, you take that one. Shado you cover him."

Yao-Fei drew an arrow from the quiver on his back. His daughter, however, made no move to do the same and Slade growled.

"What is the problem?" He demanded in an angry whisper.

"We cannot just leave Oliver on the island. He will die." Shado said looking over her shoulder. She couldn't see him but she knew he was out there. Alone, and walking into a trap so they could live. Escape Lian Yu and return to their lives.

"The kid made his choice. We need to accept it." Before last night Slade himself had been on the edge about leaving Oliver behind. But the weight of the kids letters home in his pocket forced him to stick with his choice. "If we stay and try to save him we might all die."

It was better this way. Oliver's family would have closure with the letters he was carrying. They would give the Queens the ability to start healing.

"I wish I could get the kid home, I do. But I can't. Someone has to meet with Fyer's while we take this plane. And I have a son I need to be there for. You two have each other. Oliver knows this and made his choice. Respect it." Slade returned to watching the guards through his scope.

 _"If she had reservations she should have spoken up sooner."_ It was too late now. Oliver was on the other side of the island and the plane was incoming.

"On my mark, Yao-Fei." Slade set and slid his finger from the middle of the rifle down to the trigger. "Three...two...one... _go!_ "

* * *

XxX

"Mr. castaway, you're boat has arrived."

Crouching on top of Fyer's missile launcher Oliver smirked and picked up the radio. "Good, now take the men you have hiding in the trees and go back to your camp. Despite what you may think of me, Fyers. I'm not stupid enough to try and go for that boat with you there. You'd shoot me."

"You hold all the cards. If I order my men to kill you, I lose the circuit board." Fyers said as Oliver clicked the circuit board back into place. "Why would I do that?"

Jumping down from the launcher Oliver landed next to a dead merc. One of the many littering the camp. Now that he was on his own and didn't have to hold back to avoid suspicion from his friends taking the camp was simple. Fyers men were well trained, but they weren't league trained.

"You wouldn't. You would order them to shoot me in non-lethal area's, and then have me tortured." Oliver rubbed his chest with his free hand. The three claw-like scars hidden under his clothes still stung sometimes. "I've been through that. It's not going to happen again."

Behind him, the missile launched began to move. Turning as it readied to fire on the target he set for it.

"Oliver!" Slade's voice yelled from behind him.

Reaching behind his back Oliver pulled the second radio he had tucked into his belt. "Yeah, Slade? Did you get on the plane?"

"There is a challenge code, kid. They're trying to identify our identity." Oliver heard something crash on the other side of the radio and moved it away from his ear.

 _"Let's hope Fyers hasn't gotten paranoid."_ He thought bringing the radio back closer to him once the crashing stopped. "What's the challenge code, Slade?"

"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the Earth?" Slade repeated the words and Oliver sighed. It was the same code.

Fyers changing the code had one of his biggest worries about the plan. If Fyers had

"Nothing is bred that is weaker than man." He laughed into the radio. "That's the answer. Nothing is bred that is weaker than man. Say it."

"Are you sure kid?" Slade asked. "If you're wrong we're canceled."

"It's a quote from The Odyssey. A book I read in college. Trust me." Oliver said and the radio went silent.

He hoped he had proven himself enough for Slade to believe him. The last time they had only spent ten days together and Slade trusted his answer. But that was when they were alone and didn't have leverage on Fyers. Maybe now Slade would see answering the code wrong as too big of a risk. If that happened-

"It worked, kid." The radio crackled. "The plane is landing."

"Slade, my letters-"

"I'll get them to your family, kid. I keep my promises."

Closing his eyes Oliver tried not to think about the last time he heard those words from Slade.

 _"I keep my promises! I keep my promises!"_

The insane shouting behind him as he left Slade in the A.R.G.U.S. prison Waller would build on Lian Yu in a few years.

"Kid, the planes here."

Looking up as the supply plane passed over his head Oliver turned the radio connected to Slade off and press the PTT button connected to Fyers.

"What is on that plane Fyers?" He demanded. "More troops to shoot us out of the water? Another missile launcher, huh?"

"It's just a supply plane," Fyers said and Oliver smirked at having tricked the mercenary once more.

"Kid, when we reach the mainland. I'm going to order an airstrike on the island. Whatever Fyers is up to, he needs to be stopped."

If Diggle or any of his old team were here they'd say he deserved an Oscar for his performance.

"That better be all it is, or you'll never see that circuit board." Oliver watched as the plane vanished behind the trees. It was time for part two of his plan. Letting go of the talk button on Fyers radio he switched back to the other radio.

"Kid?"

"Slade, has the plane landed?"

"The cargo bay door is opening now," Slade said and Oliver heard shouts of pain but not gunfire as was the plan.

Gunfire would be heard across the island and it would alert Fyers of their plan. Yao-Fei and Shado's arrows didn't run that risk.

"Kid, we've taken the plane," Slade confirmed but Oliver heard the hesitance in it.

"Make sure my family gets those letters, Slade. I'm counting on you." He felt bad manipulating his friend but he needed them off the island. Without them here he could use his knowledge of the future to it's fullest without having to worry about answering questions about how he knew about things before they happened. "Everything will be easier now."

Not easy. Never easy, but it wouldn't be as hard to kill Ivo and Reiter

"When we reach the mainland...I'm going to order an airstrike on the island, kid. Fyer's plan, we can't take the risk of him completing it."

Oliver heard Shado gasp over the radio as the plane came into view again climbing over the trees and into the air.

"I'm sorry." Slade apologized.

"Don't be," Oliver said as the missile launcher beeped signaling that it had locked onto the target he set. "I won't Fyer's dead as much as the rest of you do. Do me a favor though and order it express. I won't be able to hide from Fyer's by myself for long."

"Goodbye. Oleever."

Shaking his head at the horrible pronunciation of his name Oliver laughed with real joy. "Good luck in the real world Yao-Fei. You to Shado. I wish you guys the best."

Shutting the radio all the way off Oliver watched with a smile as the plane slowly gained altitude growing smaller and smaller in the sky. He had done it.

 _Yao-Fei, Shado, and Slade._ All safe and off the island.

"Do you think you and you're a friend are smart?" Fyers angry voice ruined the joyous moment. "I will have that plan shot down before it ever comes close to the mainland. Do you hear me, _castaway_?"

"No, you won't. You're going to hell, Fyers. And I'm going to be the one to send you there." Oliver promised as the three missiles launched into the air. "Goodbye Fyers."

* * *

 **I apologize for the long wait for an update. Been too busy lately to write but things have calmed so updates should be coming more frequently.**

 **Hope you guys like the chapter!**

 **20k words, Back to the beginning is now my longest story and we've only just finished year one of Oliver's journey! There is still a lot more to come!**

 **Leave a review with what you think and make sure to vote on the poll for your choice in pairing!**

 **Thanks for reading and I will see everyone next chapter!**


	8. Interlude: Thea pt1

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

* * *

XxX

 _"You can stand under my umbrella...ella...ella, aye, aye, aye."_

"Stop hogging it, Thea."

Taking a puff from the blunt between her fingers Thea passed it to her best friend Margo who started puffing right away as their music blared. Staring at the ceiling as Margo started talking about what boy she thought was cute Thea reached over to the dresser next to her bed and grabbed the bottle of whatever Margo had stolen from dads liquor cabinet.

"Thea!"

 _"What could she want?"_ Thea rolled her eyes as her mom called her name and slid off her bed. Grabbing the first bottle on her dresser she sprayed a bit of perfume on herself and popped a piece of mint gum in her mouth to hide the alcohol on her breath.

Walking down the steps she could hear her mother talking to someone, and a male voice she didn't recognize.

"No, she couldn't have." Her hands gripped the banister as reached the bottom of the stairs. Mom couldn't be moving on so soon. It had barely been a year.

"Thea!" Her mother exclaimed happily but Thea could see tears streaming down her face. "I'd like you to meet someone. This is Slade Wilson."

Looking away from her mother Thea let her eyes roam over _'Slade Wilson'_.

He was taller than her and her mother. Built strongly to, wide shoulders, chiseled jaw with black hair cut short and clean shaven. Not bad looking.

But not right for her mother. "No one but dad is."

"Thea, Slade works for the Australian Secret intelligence service." Moira swallowed thickly trying to staunch the tears welling up in her eyes. "He met Oliver...a few months ago on an island in the North China Sea."

"Oliver's alive?" Thea covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped. "Is he here? Can I see him?"

She was staring at Slade, practically ignoring her mother who was shaking her head. Probably at how rude and forward she was being with their guest but she didn't care. Her brother was alive. After months of worrying, wondering and then mourning she was getting her brother back.

Slade looked away from his friend's sister. He didn't want to be the one to tell her. She was so young. Too young to lose a father once, and now that her mother had given her hope she was going to lose her brother twice.

"Where's Oliver?" Thea asked again after no one answered her. "Where's my brother?"

"I'm sorry." Slade reached into his jacket and pulled the letter Oliver had marked Thea. He had put it in an envelope and per Oliver's request, it was sitting on top of the case holding his medal.

"He said he wanted you to have the medal. Wanted you to have a reminder that his death wasn't in vain. That it meant something." He said handing the items over to the girl as she started to cry Slade tried not to smile as he remembered the dumbfounded look on the kid's face when he mentioned him winning medals. The looked didn't last long before Oliver said to give whatever he won to his sister.

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Thea hissed glaring at Slade with watery eyes. "A piece of metal and a note from some secret agency saying he was a _'hero'_ doesn't bring my brother back to life."

Having dealt with men and women mourning loss before Slade ignored the harsh words. He knew it wasn't about him.

"The letter isn't from the ASIS. It's from Oliver. He wrote them himself and asked me to deliver them to his family if he didn't make it off the Island."

 _"Oliver."_ Thea turned away from Slade and walked out of the living ignoring the calls from her mother shouting her name. She couldn't deal with her mother, not right now.

Practically running up the stairs she reached her room and opened the door, leaving it open as she looked at Margo.

"You have to go. My mom's about to come up and she can't see any of this." She said grabbing the bottle of liquor and bag of weed off her dresser shoving it into her underwear drawer.

"Shit!" Sitting up on Thea's bed Margo put the joint in her hands out by rubbing it in the ashtray on Thea's dresser. Sticking it into the pocket of her school blazer she straightened her plaid skirt and smirked at Thea as she grabbed her bag.  
"I've got a friend who's going to hook me up with some stronger stuff tomorrow. My house, after school?"

"Of course." Thea smiled and waved as Margo walked out of her room. Closing the door once her friend was gone Thea moved to her bed and sat on the edge staring at the letter and medal in her hands.

Setting the medal on her dresser she opened the letter.

 _Thea,_

 _There so much I want to say to you, to tell you. I wish I could do it in person but in case I don't make it off the island I'm writing this letter. Slade, one of the friends I made on the island says he will deliver it._

 _So, here we go. I want to apologize first. After everything that's happened since the Gambit went down, I'm not the same person you remember. I've changed. For the better. I don't want you to look up to the man I used to be. I made so many mistakes before leaving Starling with dad, Thea. Mistakes I don't want you to repeat. I want you to be better than I was. Do something will your life that isn't drinking and partying. I know you aren't like that, you've always been better than me, better than mom and dad. The best of the Queen Family._

 _But I also know that with mom and dad the way they were I was the closest thing you had to a role model and I really messed up. Coming home drunk every night when I even bothered to come home. Cheating on Laurel with girls I barely knew. That's not who I want you to remember me as. I want you to be able to have someone you can really look up to. A role model that's not a worthless drinker._

 _Slade says I'm going to get a medal for helping him escape the island. I didn't know the military gave medals to civilians but he says they do and I believe him. I want you to have the medal. Whether I give it to you, or Slade does in my place I want you to keep it. A reminder that your brother was just a rich playboy who wasted his parent's money. That I was someone worth looking up to._

 _I hope I get to tell all of this to you in person, but if you're reading this then that means I can't. And I'm sorry you have to read all of this in a letter. I want you to know though, that no matter what happens. No matter who you become in life, I'm your big brother. And I'll always love you._

Crumbling the letter in her hands Thea took a deep breath. Glancing at her dresser she could feel the bottle hidden inside mocking her. Oliver had thought she was better than him. But she wasn't. He hadn't started drinking until he was sixteen.

Placing his letter on top of her dresser she picked up his medal. The Victoria Cross. Awarded for gallantry _"in the presence of the enemy."_

Her brother was a hero who thought his drunk little sister was a better person than him. _"Shit."_

"Thea, I was thinking," Moira walked into her daughter's room. "Oliver's award, we should put it on display in the Queen Consolidated lobby. It would be good for buisn-"

"Get out."

"Excuse me?"

Thea glared at her mother. How could she be trying to make Oliver's death something that was good for the company? And since when did she even care about the company? If it wasn't for Mr. Steele she wouldn't even know the company existed.

"All you've done since dad and Ollie died is mope around the house. And now because you had a few meetings with dads friend who is _'running'_ the company you think everything is fine. Well, it's not. Ollie's dead. Dad is dead. And now you want to take the last thing he gave me and use it as a _publicity stunt_?"

"Thea, sweetheart-"

"Just get out!"

Moira stared at her daughter before nodding and backing out of the room. "We will be talking about this attitude of yours once you've calmed down, young lady."

Reaching for the closest thing to her, which was a brush on her dresser Thea chucked it as hard as she could at her door as it closed. _"I hate her."_

Opening the top drawer of her dresser she pulled out the bottle of liquor she had hidden just a few minutes ago.

 _"I'm sorry, Ollie."_ She didn't want to disappoint her brother but Oliver couldn't understand. He hadn't lost her and dad. He didn't have to deal with their mom. Oliver was gone and the dead couldn't understand how much it hurt to live.

Forgoing the cup on her dresser she popped the cork and brought the bottle to her lips.

* * *

 ** _Dante 101: Do you think that there could be intrude chapters. Ones that focus on the other people in Oliver's life?_**

 **Glad you asked for chapters about people other than Oliver:) I had a few ideas for chapters that were about Oliver's family and friends. And I wasn't actually going to post them since they would be kind of short to be chapters but also didn't fit into Oliver's chapters without messing up the flow.**

 **But since someone asked for them I'm going to post one every few chapters or so.**

 **Hope you guys like the story!**

 **Leave a review with what you think and make sure to vote on the poll for which girl to pair Oliver with!**

 **I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	9. Arrival of Dr Ivo

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

 **North China Sea,**

"Ivo, we found these men on the beach. They say they've been on the island for years."

Dressed in a blue button-down that he tucked into a pair of khaki pants Doctor Anthony Ivo knew he wasn't intimidating. It was why he hired the ship full of large and scary pirates to protect him during his search. And as he watched the four men kneeling before him quiver in fear as his pirates aimed their guns at them he knew he made the right choice in hiring help.

"Who do you work for?" He asked.

"Fyer's, Edward Fyers." All four men answered promptly at the same time.

"And what were you doing on this island?" Ivo asked wringing his hands together. It couldn't be a coincidence that mercenaries were on the same island that might hold the Mirakuru. _"Does someone else know it exists?"_

If so, he couldn't let them find it before him.

"We were supposed to use a missile launcher to stop air traffic to China and destabilize the country's economy. But a year ago a kid washed up on shore. His boat shipwrecked at sea." The mercenary farthest on the right said and Ivo moved to stand in front of him.

"Yes, and?" He asked with impatience. What did he care about some shipwrecked kid? he didn't care if a thousand kids were shipwrecked on the island.

"He killed Fyers and dozens of our men seven months ago. And he's been hunting the rest of us down ever since. Picking us off one or two at a time and now, we're the only ones left."

One shipwrecked kid killing dozens of well armed, well-trained mercenaries. Either these for men were lying to him, or-

"Take these men to the bunks. We're filling the positions that just opened up." He ordered the captain of the pirates he paid to protect him during his excursions.

"These men killed my men." The Captain growled and Ivo rolled his eyes. As if it was possible any of these bloodthirsty neanderthals cared about anyone but themselves.

"I know. It is why I am hiring them to replace those men." Looking down at the kneeling mercenaries Ivo smiled at them. "Eat and get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow you're taking us to your base on the island. It must have been quite large to hold so many of you."

The only way a shipwrecked kid could take on an army of mercenaries without being killed was the Mirakuru. _"Whoever this castaway is, he must have found it and injected himself."_

Walking to the railing of the Amazo Ivo stared out at the island of Lian Yu.

 _"I'm coming for you, castaway."_

 **...**

 _"I know you're out there Ivo."_ Moving a four-step half circle Oliver slapped the arms of the Mu ren zhuang dummy he had built to train. It wasn't as sturdy as the ones you could buy in a store so he had to watch his strength, but that just gave him precision, better control over his muscles.

Sweating heavily he hit the dummy half a dozen more times in the time span of a few seconds before stepping away. He wasn't too tired yet but he didn't want to work himself too hard. Not when Ivo and his men would be showing up.

It was tricky timing dates when he had already changed so much. Last time Ivo arrived on the island five months after Fyers had been killed. But he killed Fyers months in an advance and that messed up his mental calendar of dates. Not that he would trade Slade, Shado and Yao-Fei escaping the island for an easier time remembering dates. He was glad they were gone. And even happier that no one had come looking for him.

The air strike Slade promised had come days after their departure and laid waste to all of Fyers camps on the island. Watching the fireworks from the boat Fyers had floating on the coast he smiled for what felt like hours when he saw none of the strikes came close to the fuselage's location. He hoped it was Slade's doing, but he was also painfully aware that it could have been Amanda Waller keeping him alive.

 _"I'm not looking forward to working with her again."_ Waller was sociopathic but A.R.G.U.S. was a valuable asset. One he couldn't afford to lose. Even if it keeping it meant he had to deal with Walter. But he had leverage on her this time. He would play the good little soldier when she 'rescued' him from the island. That would keep Maseo's family safe until he got the thumb drive from Catswidth. Using that he would force her to agree to work _with_ him. But make it clear he was no longer working _for_ her.

And if she tried to threaten the Yamashiro's or his family he'd upload the information on the drive onto the internet and ruin her.

"Beep...beep...beep."

 _"Right on schedule."_ Walking to the back wall of the plane, where Slade use to sleep because it was driest he picked the proximity sensor he had taken from Fyers camp before ASIS or Waller, whichever, blew it to hell.

"What the hell?" He muttered staring at the screen. There was supposed to be three dots. Not eight. And they weren't in the same place as before either. They were moving fast and away from the plane.

Setting the scanner down he grabbed his bulletproof vest and pulled it on over his head. Once it was in place he covered his head with the rolled up balaclava he had kept and grabbed the sniper rifle leaning against the wall filling his vest pouches with extra magazines.

Glancing at the bow and arrow lying on his sleeping bag he kicked his blanket over it covering the weapon. Amanda was watching with her satellite so he couldn't use it yet. Hand to hand and shooting guns were one thing, but archery took years to master. Taking down eight armed men with it after only a few months of training was too suspicious.

 **...**

"What happened here?" Ivo asked three of the four mercenaries he had recruited as they walked through the rubble that used to be their camp. "Looks like a bomb went off."

The ground was covered in ash giving it a dead grey color. There were burnt and twisted jeeps on their sides and some flipped all the way onto their roofs. Tents, or what was left of them which was small pieces of cloth stuck to black wooden poles were scattered around.

"This place is useless.

"Sorry, doctor." The same mercenary who had spoken last night, the oldest of the bunch, gray-haired with a wrinkly face that made it seem like he was perpetually angry. "After the bombings started we lost most of our gear. And the ran guerrilla tactics. Destroying our camps and taking what he could carry."

"You two," Ivo pointed at two of the pirates with him. "Search the camp."

 **...**

 _"Four pirates, three mercenaries, and Ivo."_ Looking through his scope Oliver put his sights on the doctors head. It would be so easy. One squeeze of his finger and he could avenge Slade, Shado, and Sara.

But he couldn't. Not yet, Ivo had to live just a little longer. His guards were a different story.

Switching his sights to the two pirates moving away from the Ivo he pulled the trigger twice in rapid succession leaving Ivo, the other two pirates and three of Fyers mercs frozen in the open as their colleagues fell to the floor dead, bleeding from the head.

Reaching next to him he pulled the radio from the dead pirate next to him.

Turning it on he brought it to his mouth.

"Who are you? What are you doing on this island?" He asked and enjoyed watching the sadistic doctor jump as a strangers voice came from the radio frequency only his men were supposed to be using.

"My name is Anthony Ivo," Ivo said as his head swiveled trying to find the shooter. "I'm a doctor. Not a threat. I'm looking for medicine. A miracle cure that could save the human race.

"You're working with Fyers men. They're bad people which makes you a bad guy." Oliver said playing his part as the naive shipwrecked kid. He knew the world wasn't as black and white as most people saw it. But Ivo didn't need to know he knew that.

"They've been on the island longer than me and my men. We don't know what the terrain. I assure you, our partnership extends only until we have a lay of the land." Ivo placated and nodded to the remaining pirates who turned their guns on the mercs. "See. These men are no friends of mine. I just want-"

"I heard you the first time." Oliver paused and let Ivo stew in what he hoped was nervousness for a few seconds before speaking again. "You think this _cure_ is on the Lian Yu?"

Ivo nodded. "I do. During world war two, a Japanese submarine holding the only known supply of the cure disappeared around this island. Presumably washed ashore."

"A submarine? I've seen one." Oliver said beginning his plan to rid the world of Ivo. It wasn't a perfect plan, no plan ever was, but out of all the plans he had thought of this was the best.

Through his scope, Oliver could see Ivo eyes go wide and the doctor changed in an instant. Not many would notice the shift but Oliver could see it. Saw it every time he put the hood on before Tommy died. And then after Laurel's death. That switch from man to monster.

"It's here on the island? Where? Take me to it!"

"Don't give me orders, Ivo. You're not in charge here." Oliver said and felt a sick satisfaction as the doctor clammed up immediately. He knew why Ivo wanted the Mirakuru. The doctor thought it could save his wife, and Oliver didn't feel a shred of sympathy for the man. Not after everything he had done.

"The submarine washed ashore in a fissure between the island. I only so if from a distance. The animals around it keep you away."

"Animals?"

"Yes, big animals. Wolves the size of bears and crocodiles that don't die when you shoot them. If you want to get to the submarine you're going to need an army."

Ivo didn't answer right away and Oliver knew the doctor was debating whether or not to give away the information that he had a freighter of pirates and hostages he was willing to let die to get the Mirakuru.

"I believe the men I have will suffice. Now, if you would be so kind as to give me the coor-"

Oliver cut the doctor off. "Kill the mercenaries."

"Excuse me?" Ivo looked at the three mercs who had their hands raised and Oliver continued.

"Those four men you have with you are the last of Fyers army that is still breathing. They tortured me, tried to have me killed. You kill them, and I will tell you were the sub is. And after you find what you're looking for and leave this island."

As Oliver predicted Ivo was just as desperate to find the Mirakuru as he was before and gave the command right away.

Gunshots rang out across the island as the two pirates opened fire on the last of Fyers men gunning them down before they even had a chance to run.

"The submarine?" Ivo asked calmly and Oliver quietly snorted.

If the doctor was trying to get him to believe he wasn't a threat not reacting to two men being executed wasn't the best move. All that did was show that he wasn't afraid to spill blood in order to achieve his goals.

"Come back to this camp the day after tomorrow. There will be a map nailed to one of the posts. It will be marked with the location of the submarine. If I see anyone watching the camp our deal is done. Goodbye doctor." Oliver shut the radio off and moved back from the ridge before getting to his feet and sprinting back into the forest.

He was sure Ivo wouldn't jeopardize his chance at finding the Mirakuru by sending men to search for him but it was better to be safe than sorry so he couldn't stick around. Tonight he would return and place the map.

And then he had a missile launcher to ready.

* * *

 **I know, shorter than most chapters but Ivo's arc won't be very long. Not nearly as long as year ones. At max, it's going to be 10k. I could stretch it out but I'm trying to keep the story realistic and Oliver, in my opinion, is to smart not to do exactly what I'm writing. It just wouldn't make sense for him not to utilize everything at his disposal. And what he as his a missile launcher and the exact location where Ivo is going to be.**

 **Sorry to anyone who wanted to read more of Ivo, or see more of Oliver's skill but I feel like it would take away from the story by suddenly making Oliver dumb enough not to use the missile launcher. Or if I threw in some unexpected surprise that wasn't in the show. It just wouldn't work.**

 **Anyway, I hope everyone is still enjoying the story! Let me know what you think with a review**

 **And make sure to vote on the Poll for which Arrow girl you want to see with Oliver!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. End of Dr Ivo

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

o0o

 _"Twenty four men."_ Pulling the binoculars away from his eyes Oliver looked down at the notebook lying on the ground next to him and scribbled the last tally mark next to the other twenty-three vertical lines on the page.

He didn't know if that was all the men Ivo had brought with him but it was close to the number he remembered seeing the first time he had gone to war against the psychotic doctor. He couldn't claim to remember each pirate Ivo had with him but he after four hours of recon on the Amazo he had seen twenty-four different men excluding Ivo and the prisoners inside the ship.

 _"Ivo should take at least half of them with him to the submarine."_ Maybe more if the doctor felt paranoid. Sara had said when it came to the Mirakuru Ivo was like a completely different person. Someone who became so fixated on one thing they ignored everything else. That would work in his favor. If he was right being this close to finding the Mirakuru would cause Ivo to fixate on it. Blind the doctor to what was happening around him.

Of course, Ivo didn't know that the _'castaway'_ he was talking to was from the future and had knowledge that made it easy for him to manipulate the doctor and get him to the submarine. Where he would only find a quick death instead of the Mirakuru he was looking for.

Picking the binoculars he set down up he brought them back to his eyes as movement on the ship caught his attention.

Ivo was out in the open. . .and boarding one of the smaller boats hanging next to the deck.

 _"He's moving sooner than expected."_ Oliver frowned. He knew Ivo was obsessed with finding the Mirakuru but he wasn't even sending a scouting party to the coordinates he left for them.

Following Ivo and his men as they came to shore on the coast of the island he started packing his notebook and binoculars away in the backpack, he had brought with him from Starling.

If Ivo wanted to head straight for the sub then that was fine. The missile launcher was already set to fire when he gave the command.

Shouldering his pack he grabbed the rifle next to him and started down the mountain to the coast as Ivo and his men began trekking further into the island. It would only take them two hours to reach the sub from the beach since Ivo had the Amazo circle the island to get as close as he could to the Mirakuru.

 _"He wouldn't have done that if_ _Fyers men had told him what I've been up to."_ Ivo like Fyers thought he was dealing with a simple castaway, not a well-trained killer. And that would contribute to the death of the doctor. The missile launcher would do the rest.

* * *

o0o

 _"Something is wrong."_ Looking around the fissure in the island trapping the nearly hundred-year-old Japanese submarine inland Ivo frowned. He and his men had been on the island for hours. The castaway had given them the exact location of the Mirakuru but he was not stupid enough to head straight for the submarine. His men had circled the fissure in the island twice searching for traps or the castaway and they had found nothing. Which should have been good but he remembered the castaway's words about what was supposed to be around the sub.

And there wasn't an animal in sight.

Wolves the size of bears and crocodiles that didn't die when shot were supposed to be surrounding the submarine. Yet he had not seen either of those things. Where were the beasts?

"Sir?"

"Captain, take five men and search the sub," Ivo ordered taking a reluctant step back putting distance between himself and his goal. And he hated it. No matter how small the distance he was still moving away from his what he had been working towards.

 _"I'm going to kill that castaway."_ The doctor thought enraged at the obstruction stopping him from saving his wife. Whoever the castaway was he would pay dearly.

As the captain of his crew and the men he picked made their way down to the sub, Ivo took a breath. Now was not the time to be angry. Anger caused mistakes and that was not something he could afford. Not now. Not when he was so close.

 _"Just wait a little longer, Jessica."_

* * *

o0o

Hundreds of feet above sea level Oliver crouched behind a boulder watching Ivo through the scope of his sniper rifle. It had been easy to follow the doctor and his men through the forest without being detected. Lian Yu was his home as much as Starling City. He knew it like he knew the back of his hand. And the mercenaries Ivo had under his employ while ruthless were not subtle. Their tracks were easy to follow.

Below him, Ivo stood on the bank of the river as his men waded into the water. Oliver didn't hear the order since Ivo and his men had changed the frequency of their radio's but he could guess what was going on. Ivo had probably realized something was wrong and sent his men ahead to set off any potential traps.

Not that they would find anything. Setting traps in the sub would only scare Ivo away and he needed the doctor to go inside. The pirates wouldn't find anything that would potentially scare the doctor. Ivo would enter the submarine and he would die today.

Setting his rifle down Oliver unzipped the pack lying next to him and lifted the bulky laptop out flipping it open. Everything was ready. All that was left was for Ivo to enter the submarine.

Placing the laptop on top of his bag he picked his rifle up again and put the cross hair back on Ivo who was still waiting on the bank as his men entered the submarine.

It wasn't even half an hour later when one of the pirates climbed out and waved the doctor forward.

Breathing deeply as Ivo took his first step into the water Oliver kept his finger as far from the trigger as he could. The desire to just shoot the doctor was still strong.

Killing the doctor just once wasn't enough. In the end when Ivo had died the first time the doctor had still won. A quick death versus the pain he deserved was a far better fate than Oliver would have granted him. But if he hadn't shot him Sara would have and she didn't deserve to have that on her conscious.

So he watched as Ivo waded as far as he could into the water before being forced to swim the rest of the way to the sub.

Watched as the doctor was pulled onto the sub, and watched as Ivo went down the ladder.

He waited another minute to let Ivo get deeper into the submarine before made his move.

"Goodbye, Ivo," Oliver whispered taking one hand off his rifle and pressing the enter key on the laptop activating the remote launch of the missile launcher hidden miles away.

In the distance, the red flames of the missile weren't hard to miss and he was sure the men left on the boat saw it as well.

 _"Not that it will do them any good."_ Ivo and his men had been forced to leave their radios on the bank just like him, Sara, Shado, and Slade had to do when they were searching for the Mirakuru.

The pirates on the boat couldn't warn the doctor of what was coming. And inside the submarine, Ivo wouldn't hear the missile until it was far too late to escape.

Keeping his sights on the only entrance and exit on the submarine Oliver set his finger on the trigger ready to squeeze if someone tried to leave. In the air above him, the missile whistled as it descended.

Seconds later smoke and fire were the only things he could see through the scope as the missile hit home.

Closing his eyes as the shock wave from the explosion shook the island.

Opening them a second later he scanned the wreckage of the submarine for any sign of movement. Not that he expected to find any, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

When he didn't see anyone still moving he nodded.

"The worlds better off without people like Anthony Ivo." He said as he stood up from his hiding spot and packed up the laptop.

The Green Arrow had been a hero who didn't kill. Like Barry and Kara. And the Green Arrow wouldn't be coming back in this timeline. Not with Oliver Queen under the hood anyway.

 _"Some people don't deserve to live."_ Maybe it wasn't his place to decide that, but he was the only one who could stop people like Ivo and the man who had taught him that lesson. Damien Darhk.

Picking up his rifle he set it to safety and slid it through the straps on the backpack before putting the bag on his back.

Turning the cliff he grabbed the rope that had been nailed into the face of the mountain and attached it to the harness around his waist.

 _"Glad I decided on rock climbing equipment and not kayaking."_ In Starling buying things like repelling gear was just a cover, but now it was paying off.

Tossing the rest of the rope over the side of the cliff he stepped off and started sliding down the rope towards the ground.

He was sure the other pirates would be on their way across the island to investigate and he needed to hurry to the coast. With most of their men dying alongside the doctor and the others on their way to ground zero of the explosion now was the best time to attack the boat.

Sara might not be on the boat but Anthony was. And the Russian was another friend Oliver needed to save.

Landing on the ground he unclipped his harness and hid it as well as he could behind the trees at the base of the mountain before running across the bank to where Ivo and his men left their radios.

"Ivo? Captain? What's going on out there?"

As he got closer to the radios Oliver could hear the other pirates still on the ship trying to get in contact with the doctor.

"What was that explosion?"

Picking up one of the radios Oliver started his trek back across the island.

"Hello? Ivo, I'm sending men to your location."

 _"Good."_ Oliver attached the radio to the strap over his shoulder. The plan was going perfectly.

All that was left was to take the freighter, free Anatoly, and the others and then send them on their way so they were gone when Waller came for him.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

 **I know, shorter than most chapters but Ivo's arc won't be very long. Not nearly as long as year ones. At max, it's going to be 10k. I could stretch it out but I'm trying to keep the story realistic and Oliver, in my opinion, is to smart not to do exactly what I'm writing. It just wouldn't make sense for him not to utilize everything at his disposal. And what he as his a missile launcher and the exact location where Ivo is going to be.**

 **Sorry to anyone who wanted to read more of Ivo, or see more of Oliver's skill but I feel like it would take away from the story by suddenly making Oliver dumb enough not to use the missile launcher. Or if I threw in some unexpected surprise that wasn't in the show. It just wouldn't work.**

 **Anyway, I hope everyone is still enjoying the story! Let me know what you think with a review**

 **And make sure to vote on the Poll for which Arrow girl you want to see with Oliver!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. Interlude: Sara Lance

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Arrow

* * *

XxX

"Sara, honey, why are you doing this? Huh?"

Stuffing the last of her shirts into her suitcase Sara turned around to face her father and her older sister Laurel who were standing in the doorway of her room.

"I have to look for him, daddy." Laying the new pair of brown hiking boots she had bought days ago on top of the clothes she had packed she zipped up her black suitcase and pulled it off the bed.  
"You wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I don't understand. This...this guy tries to get you to sleep with him while he is dating your sister." Lance growled the anger that had never been doused burning hot again as he thought about Oliver Queen.

The billionaire playboy who had broken not only his eldest daughters heart but the entire Lance family. Pitting Laurel and Sara against each other for his affection, which put him and his wife in the middle of the fighting. Which lasted months until Laurel learned Dinah, her mother had known Sara was going to go with Oliver and was going to let her. That put mother and daughter at odds and him in a tough spot. He loved his wife, with everything he had, he loved her. But he couldn't look at her the same knowing that she had betrayed their daughter.

That lead to a divorce and nearly the end of the once loving Lance family.

And the blame laid at the feet of one, Oliver Jonas Queen. _The son of a bitch._

"Dad, can I have a few minutes alone with Sara?" Laurel asked and Quentin sighed rubbing his forehead with two fingers.

"Maybe you can talk her out of this nonsense." He said and left the room, his mutters of stupid billionaire bastards fading as he got farther away from the sisters.

"Don't try and talk me out of this, Laurel," Sara said before her sister before she could say anything.  
"I'm doing this for you."

Laurel walked further into the room and sat down on her sister's bed. "And I told you, that you didn't have to go searching for him halfway around the world, Sara. His letter was enough to give me closure."

"Bullshit, Laurel. You cried for days when you heard he survived the Gambit only to die on an island." Sara crossed her arms over her chest. Her and Laurel might not have ever been the closest sisters could be but she still knew her better than anyone.

And she knew that Laurel wasn't over Oliver Queen and might never be unless she saw him again. She loved the guy when he was a cheating billionaire. Now, he was a hero who had won a medal for bravery and possibly had given his life to save strangers.

"Sara, Ollie's letter made it clear how he felt about me. About us. Our relationship was never serious to him and I wasted years of my life with him because it was never going to work out." Laurel repeated Ollie's last words to her.

It was painful to hear but she needed to hear them. It was a closure she never expected to receive after hearing that the Gambit had gone down at sea.

"And we both know that he only wrote that letter to force you to move on." Sara rolled her eyes. It was obvious, painfully obvious that almost everything in Oliver's letter to her sister was a lie.

He had been in love with Laurel for years. Yes, he cheated, multiple times, but he always came crawling back to Laurel. No one else. Just Laurel. Why would he do that if he never cared?

"That's your opinion." Laurel would be lying if she said she wasn't touched by the gesture because she was. But trying to help her move on didn't change the fact that Oliver had been the one to ruin their relationship.

"And while I appreciate you trying to help, Sara, I'm fine. Really. If you want to search for Ollie, that's fine, but at least be honest with yourself and admit that your not searching for me, you're doing it because you want to. You want him to be alive because you love him."

Shaking her head Sara snorted and picked up her bag. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"What? Why else would you betray me by sleeping with him? What kind of sister does that?" Laurel asked. She was still hurt by her sister's decision to screw Oliver while she was still dating him.  
"I wouldn't do that to you."

That got Sara's attention and the younger Lance sister stopped in her doorway, arms full with her suitcase and backpack.

"Excuse me?"

"Sara, I know I haven't been the best sister in the world. But I would never have sex with someone you were dating."

"You haven't been a sister at all," Sara said in retaliation. "But I believe you. Do you want to why?"

Laurel frowned but nodded.

"I wouldn't give you a reason to do it. Because unlike you, I'm not selfish."

"Excuse me? Selfish?" Laurel couldn't believe what she just heard. "I forgave you for trying to sleep with Oliver."

"The only reason I agreed to go with him was because _you_ stole him from me!" Sara was shouting and she didn't want to be but she couldn't help it. Laurel always tried to play herself off as the saint and others might fall for it but Sara knew better.

"The night I was going to tell Oliver how I felt, at Tommy's party. The one _you_ happened to not want to go to. It was also the first time you ever said no to going to one of Tommy's parties. Do you remember what happened that night?"

Laurel shook her head. She knew what her sister thought but it was ridiculous. "I didn't tell dad about the party, Sara."

"Oh, so everything was just a coincidence? Dad grounding me for a month and you getting with Oliver even when you knew how I felt about him? You didn't care that I liked him. All that mattered was that _you_ liked him too. Well, that's the same way I felt when I agreed to sleep with him." Sara huffed pushing her bangs out of the way.

 _"This isn't how today was supposed to go."_

"Just go, Sara," Laurel muttered tiredly. She didn't want to fight about Oliver Queen anymore and Sara was never going to believe her when she said she didn't tell dad about the party.

Sara tightened her grip on her bags. "I'm doing this for you, Laurel. Because despite everything I do love you."

"Then why does everything you do point to the opposite?"

Closing her eyes Sara walked out of her room and down the stairs passing her father who was standing in the kitchen.

"Sara-"

"Don't" Sara stopped her dad before he could start. "I'll be back in a few months. I love you."

It was a quicker goodbye than she wanted but she had heard enough about Oliver since he went missing. How Oliver was a bad person. How he was responsible for tearing the Lance family apart.

But he wasn't.

He called off their fling before it started. Not her. She would've have gone with him and she had told her family just that. It wasn't fair to blame their problems on Oliver. Even before he asked her to go with him on the Gambit the Lance family was tearing itself apart. Their mother was barely a mother at all, a father who was too caught up in work and then there were her and Laurel. Sisters who weren't even friends.

 _"Because if we were Laurel wouldn't have told dad about Tommy's party."_

Opening the front door she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder and pulled back into a tight hug.

"Stay safe sweetie. And try to call at least once a week." Her father squeezed her tight before letting her go.  
"I love you."

"Love you too, daddy."

Walking out of the house she let the front door swing closed behind her and jogged down their short driveway to the black town car waiting for her at the street.

"Mrs. Queen," She greeted the woman sitting in the back of the car as she opened the door.

"Sara," Moira greeted. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you agreed to this. Thank you."

Looking down at her lap Sara shook her head. "You don't have to thank me Mrs. Queen. Oliver was my friend, and Laurel loves him. If she didn't have Law school I'm sure she'd be the one going."

No one outside the Lance family knew about her and Oliver, and she didn't feel inclined to tell anyone either. Neither did her father or Laurel. So as far as Moira and Thea were concerned nothing had changed.

"I'm sure," Moria smiled as she thought of the woman who she had once been sure would be her daughter in law.  
"If I didn't have the company to run I'd be going myself. And Thea still won't speak to me because I won't let her go."

"I'll do my best to find him, Mrs. Queen," Sara promised as the driver rolled the window separating them down.

"To the docks please, Ricky."

"Ma'am."

The window went up again and Sara leaned back in the leather seat of the Queen's car. She could feel Moira staring at her and it made her uneasy. But that was nothing new. Oliver's mother had been different since her husband and son went missing. Colder.

 _"I hope traffic isn't bad."_

* * *

 **Another short Interlude between Oliver's story. Hope you guys like it.**

 **And to anyone wondering Thea will be getting a Pt. 2. Just not right now.**

 **Thanks for reading and make sure to leave a review with what you think of the story so far!**


End file.
